U.S. prepares sanctions against Russia over Navalny’s sentence
The U.S. will prepare a package of sanctions against Russia in connection with the case of Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned in August with Novichok nerve agent and on Tuesday sent to the penal colony for 2 years and 8 months, said Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who represents Utah and is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
"Strong leaders don’t have to jail adversaries to maintain power. First, Alexei Navalny was poisoned, and when unsuccessful, the Putin regime has now jailed him following a sham of a trial. We'll be introducing legislation this week to sanction those responsible for these acts," Romney wrote on Twitter.
He added that the bill on sanctions against those responsible for these actions will be introduced this week.
The verdict given to Navalny is a bitter blow against fundamental freedoms & the rule of law in Russia," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.
He recalled that the European Court of Human Rights found the verdict in the Yves Roche case "arbitrary" and demanded the "immediate release of Navalny."
Similar statements were made by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel.
Charles Michel recalled that "justice should not be politicized" and "protesters have the right to peaceful demonstrations and expression of their opinion".
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that the verdict given to Navalny “runs counter Russia’s international commitments on rule of law & fundamental freedoms”.
Macron tweeted in Russian: "The sentence to Alexei Navalny is unacceptable. Political differences are not a crime under any circumstances. We call for his immediate release. Respect for human rights, as well as democratic freedoms, cannot be discussed."