Pompeo Calls for Release of Russian Opposition Leader Navalny

On Monday, the US Department of State called for the immediate release of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was arrested at Moscow airport upon his arrival from Germany.

In a statement, US secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "We urge the Russian government to provide equal opportunities for all political parties and candidates who seek to compete in the electoral process. Alexei Navalny is not the problem. We demand his immediate and unconditional release."

Moreover, US president-elect Joe Biden's national security advisor Jake Sullivan called for the immediate release of Navalny.

“Mr. Navalny should be immediately released, and the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable,” he wrote on Twitter.

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On its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Maria Zakharova, called on Sullivan to focus on the country's domestic problems and to respect international law.

Responding to Sullivan's comments regarding the arrest of Russian blogger Navalny by Russian authorities, the spokeswoman said, “Respect international law, do not violate the national legislation of sovereign states and deal with the problems in your own country."

On Sunday, Police detained Navalny on arrival in Moscow after he flew home to Russia from Germany for the first time since he was poisoned last summer, according to Reuters.

Last week, Russian authorities issued a warrant for Navalny’s arrest, confirming that he had violated the terms of a suspended three-and-a-half-year sentence he received back in 2014 for embezzlement charges.