In what analysts believe is a clear slap on President Vladimir Putin, the incarcerated Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who narrowly survived a poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin, was awarded the European Union’s top human rights prize.
While awarding the Sakharov Prize to Navalny, the European Parliament praised his “immense personal bravery.” It would be recalled that the 45-year-old activist fell ill from a nerve agent poisoning last year and recuperated in Germany, and was swiftly arrested upon his return to Moscow and later imprisoned.
Parliament President David Sassoli in a statement said “He has campaigned consistently against the corruption of Vladimir Putin’s regime, and through his social media accounts and political campaigns, Navalny has helped expose abuses and mobilize the support of millions of people across Russia. For this, he was poisoned and thrown in jail”.
The Parliament boss also sued for the immediate release of Navalny, who is adjudged Putin’s biggest domestic foe.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell tweeted that the prize is a recognition of Navalny’s “commitment to defending democracy in Russia, at great personal cost,” adding that the EU wants his “immediate and unconditional release.”
Reacting to the award, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said “I welcome the fact that a strong voice … in Russia has been awarded this prize,” adding that the prize also was a call for “his unconditional release from prison” and to have an international investigation into it.
The Secretary General also recalled that NATO considered the treatment of Navalny as part of a “pattern where we see that Russia has become more oppressive at home and more aggressive abroad.”
It’s imperative to note that the EU has been calling for Navalny’s immediate and unconditional release in what it sees as a politically motivated imprisonment and has said it holds Moscow responsible for his health.
Recall that the EU imposed sanctions last year on six senior Russian officials for their alleged involvement in the poisoning of Navalny.
In a post on Facebook, Navalny’s top associate Leonid Volkov said the prize showed that hundreds of lawmakers from different countries and parties had reached a consensus that the fight against corruption is an issue for all of Europe and that Navalny is “political prisoner No. 1 in the world and Putin’s personal captive.”
He said “Europe understands that we are fighting to make Russia a normal European country, which it will become, and supports it”.
Another member of Navalny’s team, Ruslan Shaveddinov told newsmen that “Russian authorities may want this to be forgotten as soon as possible, but we see that European politicians believe that this issue is important and send quite a clear message that no one forgot and that they demand Alexei Navalny’s release.”
Shaveddinov emphasized that Navalny’s associates will do everything possible to win his freedom, and will continue their anti-corruption investigations, political and public campaigns and protests.
