Washington, DC – The International Republican Institute (IRI) released the following statement after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was unjustly sentenced to nine more years in prison on false charges:
“IRI strongly condemns the additional sentencing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. This unjust action is nothing more than an attempt to strike fear in the Russian people and silence the Kremlin’s critics.
“The targeting of Navalny only highlights the fragility of Vladimir Putin’s hold on power by attempting to crush dissent with false charges of wrongdoing. Through his brutal war on Ukraine, the world has seen Putin as the evil dictator that Russians have known for the last twenty years.
“IRI calls for the immediate release of Alexei Navalny and all other political prisoners from Russian jail cells. The people of Russia deserve to live in a democratic society without fear of punishment for voicing their opinions or fighting for their beliefs.“
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