One participant holds a sign saying “One for all, all for one” during a demonstration in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on January 23, 2021.
Maxim Shemetov | Reuters
In his first press conference since he was confirmed as secretary of state, Antony Blinken expressed “deep concern” about the treatment of Alexei Navalny and the wider human rights situation in Russia.
Last week, Navalny, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, flew from Berlin to Russia, where he has spent nearly half a year recovering since he was allegedly poisoned last summer. He was arrested on arrival in Moscow.
“In general, as the president said, we are reviewing all of these actions that are of great concern to us, be it Mr. Navalny’s treatment and particularly the apparent use of a chemical weapon in an attempt to assassinate him,” said Blinken.
Last year, Navalny was evacuated for medical reasons from a Russian hospital to Germany after he became ill after reports that something was added to his tea. Russian doctors who treated Navalny denied that the Kremlin critic was poisoned and blamed the low state of blood sugar for his coma.
In September, the German government said the 44-year-old Russian dissident was poisoned by a chemical nerve agent, describing the toxicology report as “unequivocal evidence”. The nervous agent was from the Novichok family, developed by the Soviet Union.
Shortly after the test result, the White House said it was concerned about the matter and denounced the poisoning.
“The United States is deeply concerned about the results released today,” said White House National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot in a statement at the time. “Alexei Navalny’s poisoning is completely reprehensible. Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past,” he said, referring to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied having a role in the Skirpal and Navalny incidents.
“And it remains surprising to me, as concerned, and perhaps even frightened, that the Russian government appears to be one man’s, Mr. Navalny,” Blinken said on Wednesday.
The top US diplomat also noted that the Biden government is reviewing the SolarWinds hack, reports of rewards posted by Russia to American forces in Afghanistan and potential interference in the elections.