Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny is taking part in a rally on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the assassination of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and to protest against the proposed amendments to the country’s constitution in Moscow, Russia, on 29 February 2020.
Xamil Zhumatov | Reuters
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday condemned the Russian government 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 across Russia and resulted in hundreds of his supporters being jailed.
“The United States is deeply concerned about Russia’s actions against Aleksey Navalny. We reiterate our call on the Russian government to release Mr. Navalny immediately and unconditionally, as well as by hundreds of other Russian citizens unjustly detained in recent weeks for exercising their rights. rights “. Blinken said.
Navalny, one of the main critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was arrested for violations of parole on January 17 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had been treated for a nerve agent poisoning that took place on last August.
He was accused of failing to maintain contact with his probation officer during that time regarding a suspended sentence related to 2014 fraud charges. Navalny described the case as politically motivated.
The opposition leader has accused Putin of ordering poisoning with nerve agent Novichok, but the Kremlin has denied any involvement.
Last month, Blinken said the Biden administration is reviewing other Russia-related issues, including SolarWinds piracy, reports of rewards Russia made to U.S. forces in Afghanistan and possible electoral interference and will determine the your answer based on your results.
–CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt contributed to this report.