Secretary of State Antony Blink
Antony BlinkenMenendez Calls for Sanction Against Russia Following Navalny Protests The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented By Facebook – Experts Respond to J&J Vaccine Data President World Economic Forum: Biden, Chinese President May Meet in Singapore MORE condemned what he said as “harsh tactics” used “against peaceful protesters and journalists” during recent protests in Moscow against Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Menendez calls for sanction against Russia after Navalny protests Biden puts US national security first in renewing the new START treaty How Biden can build on the new START extension to strengthen US-based relations Russia MORE to restore‘s government on Sunday.
In a tweet, Blinken added that the US “is renewing[s] our call for Russia to release those detained for exercising their human rights, including Aleksey Navalny, “after news reports indicated that thousands were arrested during recent demonstrations.
The US has condemned the continued use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by the Russian authorities for a second straight week. We renew our call for Russia to release those detained for exercising their human rights, including Aleksey Navalny.
– Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 31, 2021
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Navalny is a top critic of Putin, who doctors say was poisoned last year with a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok. He was arrested this month on his return to Russia after his recovery in a German hospital.
The Russian opposition figure has since been in custody, with courts ruling that he violated the terms of his conviction for embezzlement in 2014, a conviction disputed as politically motivated by the European Court of Human Rights.
According to White House officials, his case was one of several “troubling issues” raised during President Biden’s initial appeal with Putin earlier this month.
President Biden made it clear that the United States will act decisively in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies. The two presidents agreed to maintain transparent and consistent communication going forward, ”the White House said in a statement following the call.