EU Council President Calls For Immediate Release Of Russian Opposition Figure Navalny

BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2021) European Council President Charles Michel has called following the EU summit on Russia to immediately release opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

"We condemn his detention by the Russian authorities. His rights must be fully respected. We call on Russia to immediately release him as well as ensure his security," Michel said at a press conference on late Thursday.

The EU official has also called for a transparent investigation into the suspected poisoning of the Russian opposition figure in cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Navalny was detained on Sunday upon his arrival from Germany, where he was treated for his alleged poisoning, and placed in custody for 30 days for violating probation terms on an earlier embezzlement conviction. Many Western countries have issued statements calling for his release while the Russian Foreign Ministry advised them to focus on their own domestic issues.