Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353

Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation announced that the International Republican Institute (IRI) has been designated as an "undesirable organization":

"If the Russian government were the democracy it claims to be, it would not fear a pro-democracy organization. Vladimir Putin's autocratic rule has been built on corruption, brutal oppression, and military adventures designed to distract the Russian people from the decrepit state of their economy. The Russian court decision to suppress the International Republican Institute is part of this misguided and unsustainable strategy. A government whose survival depends on an ever-tightening grip is not long for this world, and Vladimir Putin should realize that."

Senator Cotton serves on the Board of Directors of the International Republican Institute.