WASHINGTON, August 5. /TASS/. The US State Department's statement on the sentence of blogger Alexey Navalny in Russia in an extremism case is an attempt to grossly interfere in the country's internal affairs, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said.
"We have noted the US Department of State’s statement condemning the allegedly politically motivated decision of the Russian court that has sentenced Navalny to 19 years in prison. We consider this act as a blatant attempt to interfere with internal affairs as well as to influence the work of the independent judiciary of the Russian Federation," the diplomat said.
"The embittered reaction of the US authorities actually confirms the validity of the verdict regarding the ‘Berlin patient’. The US Administration favors ‘taking advantage’ of extremists to destabilize the situation in our country," Antonov pointed out, "Isn't it time for Washington to pay its attention to the string of political scandals in the United States itself, as well as the multiplying instances of using law enforcement bodies to suppress dissent and freedom of speech in the US?"
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said earlier that Washington condemns Navalny's 19-year prison sentence in the extremism case.
Navalny's sentence
A court sentenced Navalny on August 4 to 19 years in a special regime colony in a case of creating an extremist community. Navalny, Leonid Volkov (recognized in Russia as a foreign agent), Ivan Zhdanov (recognized in Russia as a foreign agent) were charged with organizing an extremist community, and Lyubov Sobol (recognized in Russia as a foreign agent), Georgy Alburov (recognized in Russia as a foreign agent) and others were charged with participating in an extremist community. Most of the defendants in the case are outside Russia.
According to the Russian Investigative Committee, in 2014 or earlier, Navalny set up the FBK organization (recognized as extremist and outlawed in Russia) and directed it to carry out extremist activities aimed at changing the Russian constitutional system, undermining public security and state integrity. During this period, Zhdanov and Volkov joined Navalny’s criminal activities. In order to ensure the activities of this community, including its financing, as well as to create conditions for committing extremist crimes, and involve new participants, the organizers established eight non-profit organizations (foundations), as well as commercial organizations, which were FBK subdivisions, the Investigative Committee said.
The case was considered by the Moscow City Court, but the sessions were held in a high-security colony in the village of Melekhovo in the Vladimir Region, where Navalny is serving a sentence in another case. The trial was held in closed session due to fears of provocation against the trial participants, as well as the presence of secret witnesses in the case.