A Russian court in Moscow on Tuesday sentenced opposition leader Navalny to three and a half years in prison, France, the United States, Britain, Germany and the European Union have demanded the immediate release of Navalny, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the Russian reactionary leader was sentenced “unacceptable”, “political differences are never a crime”.
AFP news agency said a Moscow court ruled Tuesday that Russian opposition leader Navalny “violated the terms of his probation” and sentenced him to three and a half years in prison, minus the Time he spent under house arrest earlier, a sentence of two years and eight months, which his lawyer said he would appeal. Navalny has been taken to prison.
Navalny was suspected of being poisoned in August last year and was in a coma, then transferred to Berlin, Germany, for medical treatment. Many Russian cities have seen large numbers of people take to the streets over the past two weekends to demand Navalny’s release, and at least 9,000 people have been arrested.
Navalny’s conviction has drawn strong condemnation from the West, with leaders of major countries including France, the United States, Britain and Germany calling for Navalny’s immediate release.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted Tuesday night that it was “unacceptable” to sentence the Russian reactionary leader Navalny to nearly three years in prison, and Macron called for his immediate release. Macron said that political differences are never criminal and that respect for human rights and free democracy is not negotiable.
The U.S. is also deeply concerned about Navalny’s conviction. Secretary of State John Blinken said the U.S. is deeply concerned about Navalny’s conviction and reiterated its demand that the Russians release him. The U.S. will work with allies to hold Russia accountable for its failure to guarantee the rights of its citizens, Blinken said.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrelli also tweeted that the move violates international human rights commitments made by Russia, and he demanded Navalny’s immediate release.
British Foreign Secretary Raab said the ruling shows Russia has failed to meet the expectations of the international community, and he called on the Russians to immediately and unconditionally release Navalny, as well as all the peaceful protesters and journalists arrested over the past two weeks.
German Foreign Minister Thomas also accused the ruling of being a “heavy blow to fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in Russia. In addition, Lithuania has asked the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia.
In a court appearance Tuesday, Navalny accused President Vladimir Putin of poisoning him. He said, “The move was aimed at intimidating the population. They want to scare millions of people by imprisoning one person. Navalny said Putin wants to be seen as a great world leader and a historical figure, but he will go down in history as “the man who poisoned his underwear”.
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