MOSCOW (AP) – Russia said on Friday that it was expelling diplomats from Sweden, Poland and Germany, accusing them of attending a rally in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny as international tensions over the imprisonment of the main enemy of the Kremlin has increased.
The announcement comes as Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Navalny’s treatment was a “deep” one in relations between Brussels and Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Swedish and Polish diplomats in St. Petersburg and a German diplomat in Moscow of taking part in what he called “illegal” rallies on January 23. Tens of thousands of people across Russia took to the streets that day to protest Navalny’s arrest.
The diplomats were declared ‘persona non grata’ and had to leave Russia ‘shortly afterwards’, according to a statement from the ministry.
European officials have strongly denounced the move.
Germany said its diplomat was fulfilling its duty by following developments, and warned Moscow that its actions would not go unanswered, and summoned the Russian ambassador.
“We consider this eviction unfair and think it is another facet of the things that can be seen in Russia at the moment that are quite far from the rule of law,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin after a video conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. . Macron expressed solidarity with Germany, Poland and Sweden and condemned the “evictions” and what happened to Navalny “from beginning to end” more strongly.
Sweden said it “considered completely unfair, which we also conveyed on the Russian side,” Mats Samuelsson, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement to The Associated Press. Stockholm “strongly rejects the Russian allegations that the diplomat took part in a protest in Russia” and “reserves the right to respond,” he said.
Poland also warned Moscow that the move would further worsen relations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the eviction and tweeted: “This arbitrary and unjustified act is Russia’s latest departure from its international obligations.” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also said on Twitter that the expulsion of diplomats “because they are simply doing their job is a gross attempt to divert Russia’s target on opposition leaders, protesters and journalists.”
At the beginning of his talks with Lavrov, Borrell said: “our relations are under great pressure, and the Navalny affair is a low point in our relations.”
Borell then said he expressed concern about Navalny’s imprisonment and the arrest of thousands of people who had gathered on his behalf. The EU official said he also expressed Navalny’s support for the release and the investigation into the August poisoning, but added that at the moment there are no proposals for additional sanctions against Russia.
Merkel said that “we reserve the right to continue the sanctions”, but noted that the Navalny situation should not affect the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under construction to supply more Russian natural gas to Germany.
Lavrov again accused European officials of refusing to share evidence of the poisoning. The Kremlin has said it will not listen to Western criticism of Navalny’s sentencing and police action against its supporters.
Navalny, 44, an investigator into corruption and the main critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on January 17 when he returned from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve agent poisoning. he blames the Kremlin. Russian authorities have denied the allegations.
On Tuesday, a court in Moscow ruled that Navalny, while in Germany, violated the probation conditions of his suspended sentence for a 2014 money laundering conviction and ordered him to serve two years and eight months in prison. The verdict caused international outrage.
During the mass protests in Russia’s eleven time zones for two consecutive weekends, many people chanted slogans against Putin in the greatest displeasure in years. Thousands detained. Several of Navalny’s close allies are facing criminal charges and are under house arrest, and many of his associates have been sentenced to short prison terms.
Top Navalny strategist Leonid Volkov argued on Thursday that the attempt to maintain rallies every weekend would only lead to many more arrests and weary participants, saying protests should stand still until spring after reaching a peak has.
Instead, he called on supporters to challenge the Kremlin candidates in the September parliamentary elections and secure new Western sanctions against Russia to push for the release of Navalny. He said Navalny’s team would try to ensure that “every world leader will discuss nothing but Navalny’s release with Putin.”
On Friday, however, another Navalny ally, Vladimir Milov, expressed disappointment over Borrell’s visit to Moscow. He called it a “disastrous visit” and said Lavrov “used it as a decoration to teach Europe about ‘international law’.”
“Maybe he’ll bring back some Sputink V vaccines as a reward,” Milov tweeted, referring to Borrell’s praise. of Russia’s domestic coronavirus vaccine.
However, Navalny was in court again on Friday for another trial – this time on a charge of defaming a World War II veteran, in a video of the Kremlin that Navalny condemned on social media last year.
A criminal investigation has been launched after Navalny cracked down on people who appeared last year in a video promoting constitutional amendments that made it possible to expand Putin’s government. Navalny calls the people in the video ‘corrupt stooges’, ‘people without conscience’ and ‘traitors’.
Russian authorities claim that Navalny’s remarks undermined “the honor and dignity” of Ignat Artemenko, the veteran featured in the video.
If convicted, Navalny faces a fine or community service. He denied the charge and on Friday refused to file a plea and called the trial a ‘PR process’ to disrespect him.
“The Kremlin needs headlines (and said that) Navalny slandered a veteran,” he said.
Artemenko, 94, took part in the trial via teleconference and said he was upset about Navalny’s comments and demanded a public apology.
Navalny accuses Artemenko’s family of exploiting the debilitated man for his own gain, claiming the case was fabricated and the evidence was falsified.
“The judge must burn in hell, and you sell your grandfather out,” Navalny said, as Artemenko’s grandson testified.
The trial was finally adjourned until February 12.
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Associated Press authors Geir Moulson in Berlin, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Matthew Lee in Washington and Jill Lawless in London contributed.