Blogger Alexey Navalny was convicted not for political activity, but for criminal offenses against foreign partners, Russian President Vladimir Putin said
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2021) Blogger Alexey Navalny was convicted not for political activity, but for criminal offenses against foreign partners, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"As for the person involved, whom you mentioned, he was convicted not for his political activities, but for criminal offenses against foreign partners," Putin said at a press conference following talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, answering a question about Navalny.
"No one should hide behind political activity to carry out business projects, especially violating the law," Putin said.
Putin asked to respect the decision of the judicial authorities to Navalny's sentence.
The fight against corruption is very important, but it should not be used as an instrument of political struggle, Putin said.
Commenting on the situation with the non-systemic opposition in Russia, he recalled that Western countries, Europe or the United States do not particularly support the promotion of representatives of, for example, "yellow vests" to the representative bodies of power, including parliaments.
Putin also noted that people who entered the building of the US Congress after the presidential elections to express their political demands were charged in criminal cases and face long prison terms.
