In a release, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he wrote to Russian Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak urging "Russian authorities to overturn the conviction of Alexei Navalny – an attorney, activist, and former Yale World Fellow who last week was convicted of embezzlement. The conviction is widely believed to be politically motivated since Navalny is a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his administration."   (scroll down to read the full letter)

“Freedom of the press and the ability to speak openly about political views are crucial elements of a democratic society,” Blumenthal wrote, according to the release. “Sadly, Mr. Navalny’s conviction seems to indicate a lack of political freedom in Russia. I am particularly concerned by statements by the prosecution seeming to indicate that Mr. Navalny was charged due to his outspoken opposition of the Putin administration. Additionally, I am gravely concerned by reports that defense lawyers were not allowed to cross-examine a key prosecution witness and that the judge barred the defense from calling many of its witnesses.”

Blumenthal added, “If Mr. Navalny’s conviction is not reversed upon appeal, it will raise further questions regarding the state of the rule of law in Russia. I ask you to urge Russian authorities to immediately reconsider their decisions to target members of the political opposition and work to restore faith in the legal system. It is in the best interest of democracy not to let Mr. Navalny’s conviction stand.”

Navalny Kislyak Letter

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