Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its deep concern over the detention of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

We consider the situation around Navalny another manifestation of Kremlin’s shameful pattern of human rights violations and freedom of speech suppression.

Detentions, politically motivated persecutions of political, and public figures, representatives of national minorities, and journalists have become the Kremlin’s systematic practice and run counter to Russia’s international obligations and the human rights agreements to which the Russian Federation is a party.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands that the Russian authorities immediately release all illegally detained political prisoners, including citizens of Ukraine.

We also call on the international community to take a more decisive action to condemn the repressive practices of the Russian authorities.