One participant holds a banner that says “One for all, for one” during a rally in support of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on January 23, 2021.
Maxim Shemetov | Reuters
In his first press conference since confirming himself as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken expressed his “deep concern” over the treatment of Alexei Navalny and the wider human rights situation in Russia.
Last week, Navalny, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, flew to Russia from Berlin, where he had spent nearly half a year recovering since he was allegedly poisoned last summer. He was arrested on arrival in Moscow.
“In general, as the President has said, we are reviewing all these actions that concern us deeply whether it is the treatment of Mr Navalny and, in particular, the apparent use of a chemical weapon in an attempt to assassinate him. . ”Blinken said.
Last year, Navalny was medically evacuated to Germany from a Russian hospital after falling ill after being told something had been added to the tea. Russian doctors treating Navalny denied the Kremlin critic had been poisoned and blamed his comatose state for low blood sugar levels.
In September, the German government said the 44-year-old Russian dissident was poisoned by a chemical nerve agent, and described the toxicology report as “unequivocal evidence.” The nervous agent belonged to the Novichok family, developed by the Soviet Union.
After the test results, the White House said it was concerned about the matter and denounced the poisoning.
“The United States is deeply concerned about the results released today,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement at the time. “Alexei Navalny’s poisoning is completely reprehensible. Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past,” he said, referring to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied having a role in the Skirpal and Navalny incidents.
“And it keeps calling my attention, even worried and maybe even scared, that the Russian government seems to be of a man, Mr. Navalny,” Blinken said Wednesday.
The top U.S. diplomat also noted that the Biden administration is reviewing SolarWinds hacking, reports of rewards placed by Russia on U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and possible electoral interference.