Finland sees Navalny´s imprisonment politically motivated

Finland termed the 19 years imprisonment given to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Friday as politically motivated.

“Navalny was sentenced to another 19 years in prison. Verdict is politically motivated. EU calls on Russia for his immediate and unconditional release,” the Ministry for Foreign Affairs wrote in a twitter post late Friday night.

Earlier, the European Union in a statement issued by the High Representative strongly condemns the ruling against the Russian opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, by a Moscow Court, sentencing him to an additional 19 years of imprisonment for actions which constitute legitimate political and anti-corruption activities.

It also deeply deplored that the court hearings were conducted in a closed setting, inaccessible for his family and observers, in a strict-regime penal colony outside Moscow, where Navalny is already serving politically motivated sentences of a total of 11.5 years.

The European Union reiterated its deep concern about reports of repeated ill-treatment, unjustified and unlawful disciplinary measures, and harassment amounting to physical and psychological torture by prison authorities against Navalny.

Three years have passed since the assassination attempt through poisoning of Navalny on 20 August 2020 in Russia by using a toxic nerve agent of the “Novichok” group, banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which the Russian Federation is a State Party.

Earlier in 2021, the then Prime Minister and Foreign Minister protested the prison sentence of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny when he was sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment.