Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny is taking part in a rally to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the assassination of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and to protest against proposed amendments to the country’s constitution, in Moscow, Russia, on February 29, 2020.
Shamil Zhumatov | Reuters
Foreign Minister Antony Blinken condemned the Russian government on Tuesday after Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny was sentenced to more than two years in prison.
The arrest of the opposition leader last month sparked mass protests in Russia, which resulted in hundreds of his supporters being thrown in jail.
“The United States is deeply concerned about Russia’s actions towards Aleksey Navalny. We reiterate our call for the Russian government to immediately and unconditionally protect Mr Navalny, as well as hundreds of other Russian citizens, who have been illegally detained in recent weeks. rights, released. ” Blinken said.
Navalny, a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on January 17 for parole violations on his return from Germany to Russia, where he was treated for a nerve agent poisoning that took place last August.
He is accused of not keeping in touch with his parole officer during that time over a suspended sentence regarding fraud charges in 2014. Navalny called the matter politically motivated.
The opposition leader accused Putin of ordering the poisoning with nerve agent Novichok, but the Kremlin denied any involvement.
Last month, Blinken said the government in Biden was reviewing other issues related to Russia, including the break-in of SolarWinds, reports of abundance that Russia had placed on US forces in Afghanistan, and possible interference in the election, and its response. will determine based on its findings.
–CNN’s Holly Ellyatt contributed to this report.