EU leaders demand immediate release of Putin critic Navalny

Reuters
·1 min read
FILE PHOTO: Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny attends a court hearing earlier court decision to change his suspended sentence to a real prison term
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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders condemned the treatment of jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny and demanded his immediate release, European Council President Charles Michel said after chairing a summit of the bloc's leaders on Thursday.

"We condemn the treatment of Alexei Navalny and we demand his immediate release," Michel told a news conference.

"On Monday, (EU) foreign ministers reached a political agreement to impose restrictive measures against those responsible for his arrest and sentencing, and a decision will be formalised next week in the framework of the new European global sanctions regime," Michel added.

(Reporting by John Chalmers)