Peskov called the calls for unauthorized action "provocative."

"The Kremlin": The Police responded firmly and justifiably to the "Navalny demonstrators"

Navalny during the trial, which ended in imprisonment for two years and 8 months.

Father

Yesterday, the Kremlin defended the "firm" response of the Russian police to the protests in support of imprisoned opposition figure Alexei Navalny, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, "The calls for unauthorized action constitute a provocation, and the police responded firmly and justified."

He added, "In general, the organization of unauthorized activities is a source of concern and justifies the firm response of the police."

A protest movement, the size of which has not been witnessed in Russia for several years, has spread throughout the country since the opposition, Alexei Navalny, was imprisoned in mid-January, upon his return to Russia after five months of convalescence in Germany, as he was recovering from a poisoning incident, in which Moscow denied involvement.

He was sentenced the day before yesterday, to two years and eight months in prison, with effect, and the verdict led to demonstrations in central Moscow and St. Petersburg that ended with the arrest of 1,400 people, according to "OVD-Info." »The non-governmental organization specialized in arresting more than 10 thousand people in Russia since the start of the protest movement.

The arrest and conviction of Alexei Navalny, as well as the suppression of protests calling for his release, sparked a wave of international protests, which heralds new tensions between Russia and the West, while Moscow rejects these criticisms.

European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell is expected to visit Moscow tomorrow.

Yesterday, the German government announced that the imposition of new sanctions by the European Union on Russia after the imprisonment of opposition Alexei Navalny "is not excluded."

• 1,400 people arrested after demonstrations against Navalny's sentencing to prison.

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