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UPDATE 23/03/22: Navalny was sentenced to 9 years in prison for “fraud on an especially large scale” and “contempt of court.” He faces further reprisals from the Russian government, including charge of creating an “extremist association.” No-one should be in prison, seperated from their family, for calling out corruption and abuse of power. Take action and call for Navalny's release today. 

Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny has been sentenced to two years and eight months imprisoned in a penal colony.

He was arrested on 17 January when he arrived in Moscow, after recovering in Germany from poisoning by the nerve agent Novichok.

His arrest and detention are arbitrary and politically motivated. The grounds provided for his arrest was an alleged violation of his probation terms, which required him to report regularly to a probation officer. He couldn’t do this because he was receiving life-saving medical treatment abroad. 

Navalny is a prominent and vocal critic of the government. Like many others in Russia, he has been arbitrarily targeted and now deprived of his liberty for his peaceful political activism and for exercising his right to freedom of expression. Navalny has been arrested on multiple other occasions, including for calling for or participating in peaceful protest. 

Navalny’s arrest and detention is a blight on the Russian government. We must let the authorities know that the world is watching - and we won’t rest until Navalny is released.

International pressure has helped free human rights defenders in Russian penal colonies before, like Oyub Titiev. Together, we can free Aleksei Navalny too. Sign the petition calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

 

Sign the Petition

  Our Petition

 

President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
Ilyinka St. 23103132 Moscow
Russian Federation

Dear President,

I am writing to you concerning politician and anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny who was arrested on 17 January 2021 after arriving from Germany at Sheremetyevo airport and remanded in custody for 30 days.

His arrest and detention are arbitrary and politically motivated. The grounds provided for his arrest was his alleged violation of his probation terms resulting from a past conviction that the European Court of Human Rights found in 2019 to be the result of politically motivated prosecution. The conviction required him to report regularly to a probation officer, which he could not do while he was receiving life-saving treatment abroad.

Now the Russian authorities claim that his stay in Germany for treatment and recovery was a violation of probation terms. Aleksei Navalny is a prominent and vocal government critic. Like many others in Russia, he has been arbitrarily targeted and now deprived of his liberty for his peaceful political activism and for exercising his right to freedom of expression. He must be released immediately and unconditionally.

As the president of the Russian Federation, I urge you to use your authority to ensure Aleksei Navalny’s immediate and unconditional release, and an end to the intimidation and persecution of Aleksei Navalny and all other critics of the Russian authorities.

Yours sincerely, 

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