Russia: Western countries condemn crackdown on pro-Navalny protests
A demonstrator participates in the mobilization demanding the release of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny in Moscow, January 23, 2021. AFP - KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV
Text by: RFI Follow
6 min
The EU, the United States and Canada condemned the repression of the demonstrations of this Saturday, January 23 in Russia, organized at the call of the opponent Alexeï Navalny to demand his release, giving rise to more than 2,500 arrests, as well as clashes in several large cities.
Publicity
Read more
First to react, the EU, via its
foreign
minister Josep Borrell, deplored "
the massive detentions
" and "
the disproportionate use of force
" during the demonstrations on Saturday in Russia to demand the release of the opponent Alexeï Navalny.
“
We will discuss the next steps with EU foreign ministers on Monday
,” he added in a tweet.
The United States also condemned Saturday the use by Moscow of "brutal methods" against the demonstrators.
"
We urge the Russian authorities to release all those arrested for exercising their basic rights and to immediately and unconditionally release Alexei Navalny,
" the new spokesperson for the US State Department wrote in a statement, Ned Price.
For the new US administration, this repression is a worrying indication of the new restrictions imposed on Russian civil society.
A hardening of tone wanted by Joe Biden, indicates our correspondent in Houston,
Thomas Harms
.
►
To read also:
Russia: the police arrest more than 2,500 pro-Navalny demonstrators
Canada, declaring itself "
deeply concerned
", also called on the Russian authorities on Saturday to "
immediately release
" those detained during the demonstrations.
"
We urge the Russian authorities to respect human rights and immediately release those detained,
" the Foreign Ministry said in a tweet.
This guy was convicted at a police station and illegally thrown in jail on some incomprehensible charge of violating a conditional sentence while in a coma… This is ridiculous.
I will have supported any person who would have been in his place.
Thousands of Muscovites take to the streets to support Navalny
Jean-Didier Revoin
For its part, the United Kingdom urged Russia to respect international human rights commitments.
"
We are very concerned about the detention of peaceful protesters and continue to monitor the situation closely,
" the British Foreign Office said.
The NGO Amnesty International accused the police of having "
indiscriminately beaten and arbitrarily arrested
" demonstrators.
Mobilizations in a hundred cities
The
main rallies
were held in Moscow and St. Petersburg in May demonstrations were also held in a hundred other cities, a movement of a rare geographical extent in the recent history of Russia.
The crowds chanted “
Thief Putin!
»,«
Navalny, we are with you!
”Or“
Freedom for political prisoners!
".
In Moscow, clashes were held on several occasions in the afternoon between police officers who beat demonstrators with batons, who generally threw snowballs at them, but also other projectiles.
In the early evening, hundreds of people joined the Matrosskaya Tichina prison where Alexeï Navalny is being held, in northern Moscow.
Police made arrests there, beating protesters with batons and dispersing them.
In the capital, anti-riot forces arrested at least 952 people, according to the specialist NGO OVD Info, which had recorded 2,509 arrests throughout Russia at around 6.30 p.m. UT.
There were a lot of participants despite the fact that there were restrictions due to the Covid epidemic and it was -25 °.
The protesters looked pretty determined.
I felt that people were starting to have a civic conscience.
They are starting to wake up and understand what is going on in their country.
Arséni, economics student demonstrating in Perm
Anastasia becchio
(with AFP)
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Russia