David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs (AEFT) and Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT), standing rapporteur on Russia, make statements in the European Parliament in Brussels on the arrest in Moscow of Alexei NAVALNY, Founder of the Russian Foundation for the fight against corruption and Leader of the Party Russia of the Future.

Alexei NAVALNY arrest in Moscow: statements by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), AFET Chair, and Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT), rapporteur

Title: Alexei NAVALNY arrest in Moscow: statements by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), AFET Chair, and Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT), rapporteur

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of EP Foreign Affairs Committee, Like many others in the European Parliament, I am very concerned about the arrest of Mr. Navalny in Moscow, yesterday. This is clearly against international law and this is clearly against the russian constitution and this is an attempt of the russian authorities to silence opposition in this country and that's why we call for an immediate release of Mr. Navalny and other supporters.

SOUNDBITE (English), David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Chair of EP Foreign Affairs Committee, The russian authorities haven't respected human rights and the rule of law and this is why this action of the russian authorities requires an international response. That's why I am glad to hear that the European Parliament wants to debate this issue at this week's plenary session.

SOUNDBITE (English), Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT), Russia rapporteur, It looks like a very criminal act by Putin's regime but in some way we were not surprised. And Putin is showing that he is really felleing himself weak and affraid of opposition, of people demanding change. Parliament elections, Duma elections are coming in Russia in the autum and for me Putin's actions are reminding me very much of what Lukashenko was doing last year in Belarus.

SOUNDBITE (English), Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT), Russia rapporteur, We can investigate russian real laws but that does not have any kind of common sense. Authoritarian regimes are not following laws or legislation but what they want when they are becoming so much affraid of opposition, they are just putting them into jail without any positions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT), Russia rapporteur, He was going through medical treatement and reabilitation and he survived in such a way you know, and during that reabilitation period he had no posibilities to registrate himself into police offices back in Moscow. It's cinisism, it's terrible, it's sounds totally crazy but this is unfortuantely how, for the time being, the Putin's regim is behaving.

Alexei NAVALNY arrest in Moscow: statements by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), AFET Chair, and Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT), rapporteur

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