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US State Dept official: Decision on Navalny is crackdown on independent voices by Russian gov't

09 February 2017 08:05 (UTC +04:00)

A Russian judge has given prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny a five year suspended sentence after he was convicted of embezzlement, a decision that may prevent him from running in next year's presidential election, APA reports citing Voice of America.

A U.S. State Department official said the U.S. said the decision appears to be an example of an ongoing crackdown on independent voices by the Russian government.

“The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, equal treatment under the law, and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution,” the official said.