Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison. This verdict comes after he was poisoned in August and arrested in January. President Biden, along with the European Union, will be imposing sanctions on the country.
Who is Alexei Navalny?
As the most prominent critic of Russia’s current president, Vladimir Putin, Navalny represents the opposition party. His party takes a major stand against the corruption that they believe is plaguing the current government.
Back in August, a nerve agent known as Novichok was used to poison Navalny which nearly killed him. After recovering, he returned to Moscow on Jan. 17 and was immediately arrested. In court, he accused Putin’s agents of poisoning him.
The Kremlin has since denied accusations of the poisoning. However, the nerve agent was determined through tests done in Germany that only someone with access to state resources would have been able to carry out this attack. A similar assassination attempt in 2018 of Sergei Skripal, a former intelligence officer, was carried out using Nivichok.
Authorities cited his arrest as a result of violating his 2014 sentence for financial fraud, but it is likely that this arrest was politically motivated. He has been known to uncover suspected corruption in the Russian government and share it with his followers.
His arrest sparked widespread protests from his supporters throughout the country. He gained popularity through his ability to convey effective speeches to crowds and through the internet. Navalny utilized YouTube to encourage viewers to protest the current government.
Since his arrest in January, thousands of his supporters have been arrested at large scale protests. Police responded violently by using aggressive force and pointing firearms at participants.
What is Biden doing to get involved?
Under the Trump administration, no harsh actions were taken against Russia. Now, Biden is imposing sanctions on Russian officials involved with Navalny’s sentencing. He is hoping that these limitations will encourage them to let Navalny go and drop him, and other opposition figures, of their charges.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the sanctions were necessary “…to send a clear signal that Russia’s use of chemical weapons and abuse of human rights have severe consequences. Any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable and contravenes international norms” (npr.org).
These sanctions will include export and Visa restrictions as well as blocking these officials’ access to assets in the U.S. The European Union has enforced similar sanctions on Russian officials on top of the ones they issued last fall.
It is unclear how effective these sanctions will be, but the Biden administration is likely trying to be symbolic in enacting these policies.
In the rise of this unrest, Putin’s approval rating has plunged. Many are unsatisfied with how the country has dealt with the Coronavirus pandemic. Others disapprove of Putin due to the luxuries he enjoys while others in the country are in poverty.
As oil prices fell last year, living conditions decreased and government corruption became more exposed. The pandemic only contributed to making these issues worse.
Navalny will be serving his two and a half year sentence at Penal Colony No. 2, a prison known for harsh and abusive treatment of prisoners.
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-protests-putin-navalny-11612265234?mod=searchresults_pos2&page=1
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-16057045