German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on behalf of the federal government, called on Russia to release opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was detained on January 17 upon arrival in Moscow.
Merkel said this to reporters during a briefing in Berlin on January 21.
“Yes, I, like the entire FRG government, demand the immediate release of Navalny. We believe this would be absolutely true and necessary,” the chancellor said.
Recall that the employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation detained Alexei Navalny at the Sheremetyevo airport, where he flew from Germany, where he had been undergoing treatment since August after being poisoned with the Novichok battle poison.
The Khimki City Court decided on a preventive measure — placing the oppositionist in custody for a month, until February 15. He is accused of violating the obligations imposed by the verdict in the so-called Yves Rocher case. At the same time, the trial itself was held at the police station and with numerous violations.
