WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Alexei Navalny’s unjust conviction at the hands of a Russian court, McCain Institute Board of Trustees Member Rick Davis issued the following statement:
“While presiding over a disastrous and unnecessary war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has again decided to remind the world that his cruelty knows no bounds. After failing to assassinate Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a hit squad and a nerve agent, and holding him in prison for over two and a half years, today a Russian show trial ended with Navalny convicted of fraud and sentenced to a lengthy maximum security prison sentence.
“Vladimir Putin has shown many times that he is afraid of Mr. Navalny. It is why he tried to have him killed, and upon Navalny’s brave return to Russia following his poisoning, it is why Putin has conducted this farce of a trial far outside of Moscow and even further outside of the public eye. As sanctions stemming from Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine take their toll on the Russian economy, the Kremlin is eager to punish the man dedicated to exposing their criminal theft of Russia’s wealth.
“The bravery and heroism shown by Mr. Navalny is only matched by the cowardice and cruelty shown by his jailer.”
About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
Inspired by Senator John S. McCain and his family’s legacy of public service, the McCain Institute is fighting to secure democracy and alliances, defend human rights, protect the vulnerable and advance character-driven leadership, both at home and around the world.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.
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