Navalny's arrest is unacceptable. Biden's adviser: He must be released immediately

The arrest is unacceptable, we demand that Navalny be released The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, assessed that the arrest of Alexei Navalny upon his arrival in Moscow was unacceptable and called for his immediate release. Russian police on Sunday arrested the Kremlin's main critic, Alexei Navalny, upon his arrival at Sheremetyevo Airport from Germany, when he was preparing to pass passport control, the Russian Federal Prison Service (FSIN) confirmed. Navalny has been recovering in Germany in recent months after surviving an attempted poisoning. European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell called on the Russian authorities to "respect the rights of Alexei Navalny" and tweeted his release. “The politicization of the justice system is unacceptable,” Borrell added. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also called for the immediate release of Navalny and asked the EU to respond to his arrest. "The arrest of Navalny is another attempt to intimidate the democratic opposition in Russia. A quick and unambiguous response at EU level is crucial. Respect for citizens' rights is the foundation of democracy," Morawiecki wrote on Twitter. "I call on the Russian authorities to release the detainee immediately," he added. Earlier, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia called for Navalny's release and the EU's reaction, also calling for the introduction of "restrictive measures" against Russia. "It is completely unacceptable that the Russian authorities arrested Alexei Navalny. We are asking for his immediate release," Lithuanian Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis wrote in a tweet. "The EU should react immediately and if it is not released, we must consider introducing restrictive measures in response to this shameless act," he added. Biden's adviser: Navalny must be released immediately Jake Sullivan, a future adviser to US President-elect Joe Biden, said Alexei Navalny, Russia's main opposition leader arrested in Moscow on Sunday, "must be released immediately." The anti-corruption fighter and sworn enemy of the Kremlin was arrested by police on Sunday after arriving in Moscow from Germany where he was recovering in recent months after surviving an attempted poisoning. "Navalny must be released immediately, the perpetrators of this scandalous attack on his life must be held accountable," warned Sullivan, who will take office on January 20th. "The Kremlin's attacks on Navalny are not only a violation of human rights, but also an insult to the Russian people who want his voice to be heard," he was adamant on Twitter. Several U.S. lawmakers also condemned the arrest and called for Navalny's release. The current US government has not yet responded to the news.