Emmanuel Macron Calls on Russian Authorities to Immediately Release Navalny

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, today called for the immediate release of Alexei Navalny in response to a court ruling in Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry has dismissed this reaction as disconnected from reality.

“Political disagreements are not a crime. We call for his immediate release. Respecting human rights, such as democratic freedom, should not be up for discussion,” Macron wrote on his Twitter page.

Just hours ago, the Moscow Simonovsky Court annulled Alexei Navalny's conditional sentence in the "Ivy Roche" case, replacing it with a real term of 3.5 years.

Earlier, the White House also called for Navalny's release.