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Kremlin critic Navalny in court
Photo: HANDOUT / AFP
The verdict against the Russian oppositionist Alexej Navalny triggers clear reactions from Western politicians.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for the immediate release of Nawalny and other prisoners who had been arrested in the course of the recent protests for the Kremlin critic.
Blinken said he was "deeply concerned" about the verdict.
Navalny was sentenced to two years and eight months' imprisonment in the evening for allegedly violating probation conditions from a previous sentence.
The previous proceedings from 2014 had already been criticized by the European Court of Human Rights as “constructed and fundamentally unfair”.
Converting probation into prison is also considered politically motivated.
"The verdict against Alexej Navalny is a bitter blow against firmly documented freedom rights and rule of law in Russia," wrote Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) on Twitter.
"Navalny must be released immediately."
Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) called the actions of the Russian judiciary in a tweet "pure cynicism".
Using the hashtag #FreeNavalny, she demanded the release of the Kremlin critic.
Great Britain also sharply criticized the verdict against Navalny and demanded his immediate release.
"Today's perverse decision, which is directed against the victim of poisoning rather than those responsible, shows that Russia is not fulfilling the most fundamental obligations expected of a responsible member of the international community," said Foreign Minister Dominic Raab.
Navalny had temporarily recovered in Germany after a poison attack for which he blames Russian President Vladimir Putin and an intelligence officer.
At the trial, he described Putin as a "poisoner".
Among other things, this stay in Germany has now been charged by the Moscow court as a violation of the probation conditions.
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fek / dpa / Reuters
