A year after the Navalny affair, Angela Merkel calls for her “release”, Vladimir Poutine refuses – archyworldys

His trip to Russia takes place one year to the day after the poisoning by Alexeï Navalny. German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday August 20 to release the opponent, who blames his poisoning on the Kremlin and the FSB, the Federal Security Service.

“Once again, I demanded from the Russian President the release of Alexey Navalny and I clearly said that we would continue”said M^me Merkel during a joint press conference in Moscow with Mr Putin, who rejected the Chancellor’s appeal. The latter replied that his main opponent was not detained “For his political activities”, but for “A criminal offense against foreign partners”.

Returned to Russia in January after convalescing in Germany, Mr. Navalny was immediately arrested and then sentenced to two and a half years in prison in a fraud case he denounces as a politician.

Alexeï Navalny thanks his support

The Russian authorities have been working in recent months to dismantle its network ahead of the parliamentary elections in September, classifying its organizations as “Extremists”, blocking websites linked to him and placing his allies and relatives on probation.

Anti-corruption activist, Mr. Navalny is best known for its investigations denouncing the lifestyle and the wrongdoing of Russian elites, including Mr. Putin and his entourage. On Friday, the opponent thanked, from his prison, in a message on social networks all those who saved his life and affirmed that he would continue his fight.

Mr Putin, for his part, believes, as he said on Friday, that “The fight against corruption should not be used for political ends”, while ensuring that “The fight against corruption is very important” and that Russia will do ” all “ to eradicate it.

London and Washington sanction senior Russian officials

For their part, London and Washington announced on Friday new sanctions against senior officials of the Russian security service for their alleged role in the poisoning of the opponent, which occurred a year ago on board a plane in Siberia.

The British Foreign Office targeted seven people, identified as members of the FSB. These individuals are hit by travel bans and the freezing of their assets, measures “Taken alongside our American allies”, said the ministry in a press release.

It’s here second wave of retaliation taken by the United Kingdom. In October 2020, he had sanctioned six officials, including the boss of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, and one of the officials of the presidential administration, Sergei Kirienko, in connection with this poisoning. London considers that the individuals sanctioned this time “Are directly responsible for the preparation or execution of the attack against Mr. Navalny in Tomsk, August 20, 2020”.

The US Treasury reported in a separate statement that nine senior officials and two science labs were targeted by a third round of US sanctions.

The US State Department has designated “Two scientific laboratories of the Russian Ministry of Defense which are engaged in activities aimed at developing the chemical weapons capabilities of Russia”, explained the Treasury.