Kremlin officials have criticized the US government for expressing support for protests that swept Russia in support of arrested opposition leader Alexei Navalny, accusing the US of supporting violations of the law.
The protests, which drew tens of thousands of protesters, led police to make thousands of arrests. U.S. officials who made statements in support of the protesters and condemned the police response included the US embassy in Moscow, the State Department, Sen. Ben Sasse
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“The United States supports the right of all people to peaceful protest, to freedom of expression,” embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Ross wrote on Twitter. “The measures taken by the Russian authorities suppress these rights.”
We are watching reports of protests in 38 Russian cities, arrests of more than 350 peaceful protesters and journalists. The US supports the right of all people to peaceful protests, to freedom of expression. The measures taken by the Russian authorities suppress these rights.
– Rebecca Ross (@USEmbRuPress) January 23, 2021
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin Russian protesters throw snowballs at police while more than 2,000 Russian detainees arrest hundreds of protesters demanding the release of Kremlin critic Navalny., said in a statement that the reactions of US officials “indirectly constitute an absolute interference in our internal affairs” and are “direct support for violating the law of the Russian Federation, support for unauthorized actions,” according to The Associated Press.
“[M]anyone will say that many people have come out for illegal actions “, added Peskov. “No, few people came out; many people vote for Putin. ”
Navalny fell ill on a domestic flight last year and was rushed to a German hospital, which diagnosed him with Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.
After being discharged from the hospital, the Russian prison informed him that he would violate the conditions of a suspended sentence from 2014, unless he returned to Russia immediately. Navalny returned to Moscow last weekend, five months after leaving Russia and being arrested at the airport.
Navalny is due to appear in court on February 2.