Portugal’s Foreign Ministry called for the immediate release of Russian rival Alexey Navalny on Monday, when he returned after being hospitalized in Germany after dealing with trying to eat poison for several months.
In a message posted on the social network Twitter, the ministry also states that “Alexei Navalny’s detention is a matter of great concern” and that “Portugal is closely monitoring the situation with European allies”.
Portugal is seriously concerned with the arrest of Alexei Navalny. We closely follow the situation with our EU partners and appeal for their immediate release.
– Ann Foreigners PT (@nestrangeiro_pt) January 18, 2021
The status of Portugal is already taken by many states, such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom or the United States, and many international organizations.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights demanded a “immediate release” of Navalny in a message on Twitter, saying he was “deeply troubled” by the situation.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned Navalny’s arrest, demanding his immediate release and guaranteeing that he would “closely monitor the situation”, underlining that “the arrest of political opponents against international commitments” Is “Russia”.
“We look forward to a comprehensive and independent investigation into the attack on Alexei Navalny’s life,” European Council President Charles Mitchell said.
For its part, the humanitarian organization Amnesty International has also condemned the arrest, calling it an “unconditional release”.
He said, “Alexey Navalny is denied freedom for his peaceful political activism and for his freedom of expression. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.”
Navalny, the main opposition figure of the Kremlin (Russian Presidency), was questioned by police on Sunday when he arrived at Moscow’s Cheremtivo airport, according to witnesses from the France-Press (AFP) agency, from passport control. Was passing .
44-year-old Navalny from the Russian Prison Services said, “A list of wanted people appears since December 29, 2020 for several violations of his probation period.”
In statements to AFP, the opposition’s lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, said, “Alexei was arrested without giving a reason … (I was not allowed to return).”
Several Navalni supporters and supporters, including the opponent’s brother, Oleg, were also arrested in Moscow and St. Petersburg today.
After nearly five months of medical treatment in Germany, the opposition leader returned to Russia after eating poison with a toxin for military use, a task carried out by Russian President Vladimir Putin according to an activist.
On August 20, 2020, Navalny felt bad and died during a domestic flight to Russia, and was taken to a coma in Germany for treatment two days later.
Laboratories in Germany, France and Sweden, as well as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, demonstrated that he had been in contact with a neurotoxic agent such as Novichok since Soviet times.
Russian authorities have dismissed all allegations of involvement in the poisoning.
