Russia suspends European diplomats for participating in rally seeking Navalny's release

Russia on Friday expelled diplomats from Germany, Poland, and Sweden after they participated in a protest last month seeking Alexei Navalny's release. Russian Foreign Ministry said that the diplomats have been asked to leave the country because they took part in "unlawful" rallies on January 23, when tens and thousands of people poured on the streets of Moscow and other cities across Russia to protest against Navalny's detention. The Russian Foreign Ministry has designated the diplomats as "persona non grata", meaning they no longer enjoy diplomatic immunity.

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The European Union has condemned Russia's decision to expel the diplomats for participating in protests. "I strongly condemned this decision and rejected the allegations that they conducted activities incompatible with their status as foreign diplomats. The decision should be reconsidered," EU Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said in a statement on the day he attended a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Navalny row in Russia

Russia is currently facing the wrath of the international community, particularly the West, over the sentencing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The international community, including the European Union and the United States, are demanding the immediate release of Navalny and are asking Russia to respect the rights of those protesting over his detention. 

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Russia witnessed mass protests earlier this week after a court reinstated Navalny's suspended sentence and ordered him to serve the remaining term in prison. Russia responded to the protests by detaining thousands of demonstrators and putting them in jail on the pretext of them violating COVID-19 measures. Russia took similar actions on January 23 and January 31 after several thousand came to the streets to protest against Navalny's arrest. 

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Navalny was arrested as soon as he landed from Germany, where he was undergoing treatment for five months after being poisoned last year. Prior to arriving in Russia, Navalny had been warned by Russian prison authorities that he could be jailed after reaching the country for allegedly violating his suspended prison term while he was in a coma in Berlin. Navalny is a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which critics argue may have been the reason behind his poisoning. 

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(Image Credit: AP)