US, UK condemn Alexei Navalny's arrest, call for his 'immediate, unconditional release'

United States and United Kingdom have condemned Moscow court's order after it sent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to prison for more than two-and-a-half years. US and UK have called for opposition leer’s immediate release. Navalny has been sentenced prison time for violating terms of his probation while he was recuperating in Germany from nerve-nt poisoning. His arrest and mass detention of his supporters have triggered a wave of condemnation from west. Following his court hearing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanded Russia to free Kremlin critic “immediately and unconditionally”. 

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United Kingdom urged Russia to release him. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called Moscow court order “perverse”. He furr also urged Russia to release Navalny as well as all peaceful protesters and journalist who were arrested over last two weeks.  

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Pro-Navalny protests 

Meanwhile, protesters gared again in streets of Moscow on Tuesday to protest against sentencing and hundreds were detained by authorities. This comes after police detained over 4,000 people in connection to protests in Moscow on Sunday, which saw thousands of people gar to oppose Navalny's detention. On January 23, similar protests took place across Russia, which saw over 3,500 people being detained by police.  

In 2014, Navalny was given a suspended sentence of three and a half years, of which he has alrey served 10 months under house arrest. Navalny was found guilty of financial fraud by a Russian court. When Navalny was in Germany for treatment, Kremlin critic was warned by a Russian court that he return as soon as possible because he is allegedly in violation of his probation. After his arrest earlier this month, international community condemned action and called for his immediate release. 

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