European Parliament demanded the release of Russian opposition Alexei Navalny, whose health is weakened after suffering a hunger strike

The European Parliament demanded this Thursday the “Immediate and unconditional” release of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny and calls on the European Union for a “new approach” in its relations with Russia, by a resolution adopted Thursday.

The text – presented by the European People’s Party, the Social Democrats, the liberal Renovar Europa group, the Greens and the ECR conservatives – was presented with 569 votes in favor, 67 against and 46 abstentions.

The deputies noted that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, “in his capacity as head of state” is “personally responsible” for the protection of Navalny’s life, whose state of health remains poor, although he has ended the hunger strike against his imprisonment, for which lost 16 kilos.

The European Parliament also regretted that Russian justice considers the Anti-Corruption Foundation headed by Navalny as “extremist”. and urged the Russian authorities to “put an end to acts of harassment, intimidation and attacks against the opposition, civil society”, referring to the crackdown on demonstrators protesting against Navalny’s conviction.

Regarding the deployment of Kremlin troops on the border with Ukraine, the text called on the EU to draw conclusions and more specifically the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, to “continue to be ready to reach an agreement” with the Twenty-Seven “on further joint actions”, although Moscow has said it will end the military escalation next Saturday.

MEPs also reiterated their support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, not only in front of Russian troops on the border, but in reference to the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol that Russia carried out in 2014.

In the resolution, the European Parliament also wanted to show its “Deep solidarity” with the Czech Republic, following the recent investigation which showed that Russia had provoked, also in 2014, an explosion at the weapons depot in Vrbětice.

And he also supported the order that Prague has given Moscow the withdrawal of most of its diplomatic personnel in the Czech Republic, in response to the Kremlin’s similar request to that EU country.

The European Parliament called on the EU to develop “a new approach ”concerning its relations with Russia and that the new sanctions regime that the Twenty-Seven have been given to punish human rights violations also persecute corruption, as happens, for example, with the Magnitsky Law in the United States.

Navalny, 44, serves a prison sentence of two and a half years for violation of liberty conditional in an earlier belief which he said was politically motivated.

He declared his hunger strike in prison on March 31 require appropriate medical attention for leg and back pain, but on April 23 he said he would start to finish it gradually after receiving medical attention.

Pressure has been mounting on him and his campaign against political and commercial corruption for months.

With information from EFE

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