The United States expressed profound concern on Monday regarding the detention of prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who has been moved to an Arctic prison, and urged Moscow to cease its “escalating repression” of dissidents.
The State Department welcomed reports confirming Navalny’s location after over two weeks of uncertainty but continued to express deep apprehension for his well-being and the unjust conditions of his detention.
The US officials condemned the “malicious targeting” of the 47-year-old. Washington joined Navalny’s family and supporters in demanding his immediate release without conditions and called on the Russian government to halt its increasing repression of independent voices in the country.
Navalny, the main political opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, faced electoral disqualification in 2018 due to a contested fraud charge.
In 2021, he received a 19-year prison sentence on “extremism” charges following a poisoning attempt on his life, which he attributed to Putin.
Navalny, experiencing significant weight loss in prison, was moved to a remote penal colony above the Arctic Circle with harsh conditions and limited external contact.
The State Department emphasized Russia’s responsibility for Navalny’s well-being in custody, stating that the international community is closely monitoring the situation and highlighted Moscow’s detainment of “more than 600 other political prisoners.”
