“Alexei Navalny has become a victim of political persecution that violates the basic principles of the rule of law,” Zbigniew Rau said in a tweet on Tuesday.
“I call upon the Russian authorities to release Mr. Navalny and to cease the application of repressive measures against his supporters,” he added.
A Moscow court on Tuesday handed Navalny a three-and-a-half-year sentence, in a ruling the opposition politician blamed on President Vladimir Putin's personal hatred and fear of him, the Reuters news agency reported.
The court's decision, which followed nationwide protests calling for Navalny's release, is expected to further strain Russia's relations with the West and trigger new sanctions.
The United States, Britain, Germany and the European Union urged Moscow to immediately free Navalny, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying Washington would coordinate closely with allies to hold Russia accountable, Reuters reported.
European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, in a Twitter post, condemned the sentencing of Navalny "in the strongest possible terms" and called on Russia "to comply with its international commitments and release him immediately and unconditionally."
(gs/pk)
Source: IAR, Reuters