Polish MFA summons Russian ambassador

Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ambassador of the Russian Federation Sergey Andreev and shortly after released a statement.

The ministry calls on the Russian authorities "to take responsibility for the death of Alexei Navalny and conduct a full and transparent investigation to establish the circumstances and the cause of his death".

"On 16 February 2024, the Russian prison service announced that Navalny died in a strict-regime penal colony. As one of the leaders of the Russian opposition and civil society, Navalny was sentenced in a show trial to 19 years of imprisonment for alleged extremism. It was reported that while serving the penalty, he was subjected to unjustified disciplinary measures, including long-term solitary confinement," the MFA stressed.

"Together with the democratic international community, Poland notes with concern the rising number of political prisoners in Russia, many of whom are kept in penal colonies in appalling conditions that constitute a hazard to their life and health. Among these are the leading representatives of the Russian opposition, including Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin," we read.

According to the Polish MFA, "the inhuman treatment of Navalny and his subsequent death are characteristic of the Russian authorities’ treatment of political prisoners, opposition activists, and human rights defenders". "It runs counter to democratic standards and violates their civil rights."

"The authorities of the Russian Federation demonstrate a total disregard for moral norms not only in the context of their treatment of the country’s civil society, but also in the ongoing war against Ukraine. Poland calls on Russia to hold responsible the individuals who are to blame for the unlawful aggression against Ukraine, compensate its victims, and account for the crimes against the Ukrainian state and its civilian population," the foreign ministry urged.

The U.S. will announce a major package of sanctions against Russia on Friday over the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the two-year Ukraine war, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday.

The package will "hold Russia accountable for what happened to Mr. Navalny" and for its actions over the course of the war in Ukraine, Kirby said, without providing details on the sanctions measures.

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kirby said the United States is pressing Russia for "complete transparency" on how Navalny died last Friday at an Arctic penal colony.

The prison service said at the time that Navalny fell unconscious after a walk and died. U.S. President Joe Biden has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The United States already has issued a wide array of sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"Whatever story the Russian government decides to tell the world, it's clear that President Putin and his government are responsible for Mr. Navalny's death," Kirby said.

Kirby said the U.S. embassy in Moscow has been seeking more information about Navalny's death "but it's difficult to get a point where you can be confident in what the Russians would say about his death."