US calls out Russia over its 'malicious targeting' of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny

The United States has voiced its alarm over the detention and subsequent transfer of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to an Arctic prison. Urging Russia to end "escalating repression" of dissidents, the US State Department said it welcomed reports that after two weeks Navalny has finally been located.

'Unjust Detention'

However, a State Department spokesperson said that they "remain deeply concerned for Mr Navalny's wellbeing and the conditions of his unjust detention."

Decrying the "malicious targeting" of the 47-year-old dissident, the spokesperson said that Washington joins Navalny's family and supporters "in calling for his immediate release, without conditions." 

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"We call on the Russian government to end its escalating repression of independent voices in Russia," added the spokesperson.

Navalny, as per Ivan Zhdanov, custodian of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, has been transferred from a facility east of Moscow to a desolate penal colony situated above the Arctic Circle.

During his time behind bars, Navalny has got visibly gaunt due to major weight loss. Zhdanov, as per news agency AFP, also painted a grim picture of the harsh conditions in the remote facility, and the limited contact with the outside world.

The State Department in its statement didn't mince words. 

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"We have conveyed to the Russian government that they are responsible for what happens to Mr. Navalny in their custody, and the international community is watching closely," it said.

It also called out Moscow for holding "more than 600 other political prisoners."

Who is Navalny?

Alexei Navalny is a vociferous critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The opposition leader has been incarcerated since 2021 on an array of charges, notably "extremism." 

The 47-year-old dissident is a formidable adversary to Putin, due to which he grappled with legal hurdles, including an archaic fraud charge that thwarted his participation in the 2018 elections. For the 'extremism' charge, in 2021, he was handed down a staggering 19-year prison sentence. Before that, he barely survived a poisoning attempt that he vehemently blames Vladimir Putin.

(With inputs from agencies)