Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny attends a rally to mark the 5th anniversary of the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and to protest proposed changes to the constitution in Moscow, Russia, on February 29, 2020.
Shamil Zhumatov | Reuters
Secretary of State Antony Blinken sentenced 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 massive protests across Russia, throwing hundreds of his supporters into jail.
“The United States is deeply concerned about Russia’s actions against Aleksey Navalny. We reiterate our appeal to the Russian government to immediately and immediately and close Mr. Navalny and hundreds of other Russian citizens falsely detained for exercising their rights in recent weeks. to be released unconditionally. ” Blinken said.
Navalny, a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on January 17 for parole violations on his return to Russia from Germany, where he had been treated for nerve poisoning that occurred last August.
He was accused of not communicating with his probation officer during that time in connection with a suspended sentence related to fraud in 2014. Navalny said the case was politically motivated.
The opposition leader has accused Putin of ordering the poisoning from the nerve agent Novichok, but the Kremlin has denied any involvement.
Last month, Blinken said the Biden administration is reviewing other Russia-related issues, including the hacking of SolarWinds, reports of bounties awarded by Russia to US forces in Afghanistan, and possible election interference, and will determine its response. based on its findings.
–CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt contributed to this report.