URGENT: Call on President Putin to free Aleksei Navalny and end the crackdown on
peaceful dissent. | View in browser [[link removed]] .


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CALL ON RUSSIA TO FREE ALEKSEI NAVALNY AND STOP THE CRACKDOWN
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{salutation~Dear firstname},

On Saturday, January 23rd, tens of thousands of people in Moscow and cities
across Russia rallied against the politically motivated detention of prominent
opposition activist Aleksei Navalny. The response was ferocious. Thousands of
protesters were arrested and at least 1,300 detained.

These events followed Aleksei's January 17th arrest upon his arrival to Moscow
after his five months of treatment and recovery in Germany. He had been poisoned
by Novichok nerve agent in August.

Like many others in Russia, Aleksei has been targeted for his peaceful political
activism and for exercising his right to freedom of expression.

Ahead of Sunday’s anticipated protests in Russia, the world is watching. Amnesty
International is on the ground – and we need your voice to send a strong message
to Russian authorities.

Call on President Vladimir Putin to ensure the immediate and unconditional
release of Aleksei Navalny, and to end the intimidation and persecution of all
critics of the Russian authorities.
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Aleksei Navalny is one of the most prominent critics of the Russian authorities.
In 2011, founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation (known as FBK in Russian). He
has conducted investigations and published reports alleging and documenting
corruption among Russia’s senior officials, prominent politicians and business
people.

For years, he and many FBK employees and associates have been targeted for their
peaceful work, facing reprisals like fabricated criminal and administrative
charges, police raids and house searches, physical violence and selective army
conscription. Aleksei has been arrested numerous times and Amnesty International
has recognised him as a prisoner of conscience on multiple occasions.

Amnesty supporters have called for Aleksei Navalny’s freedom before. Will you do
it now? Please sign the petition calling for his release and an end to the persecution
of all critics of the Russian authorities.
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The crackdown on dissent in Russia has become increasingly brutal – and
desperate – even compared to vicious reprisals in recent years. The authorities
appear shamelessly bent on violating human rights by silencing their critics.

Amnesty International monitors witnessed first-hand the punishing police
response to the overwhelmingly peaceful protesters in Moscow. People were beaten with batons and some were even pushed down stairs.

On Wednesday, police carried out at least 18 raids at homes and offices of
leading opposition activists, journalists and government critics in Moscow,
including Aleksei Nalvalny’s home, FBK office and studio of Navalny Live, his
popular YouTube channel.

We will continue to monitor events on the ground – and I hope you will add your voice
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citizens to be able to exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and
expression.

Yours in solidarity,

Hilary Homes
Crisis & Tactical Campaigner
Amnesty International Canada


P.S. This wave of reprisals by Russian authorities is a cowardly attempt to
prevent further planned peaceful protests against the prosecution of prisoner of
conscience Aleksei Navalny, and the allegations of top-level corruption in
Russia which he unearthed. Please take a moment to join the global call for his immediate release and an
end to the crackdown.
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