The imprisonment of one of Russia's leading opposition figures on Thursday sparked fierce outcry from U.S. lawmakers who accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of behaving like a Soviet-era tyrant.
Alexei Navalny, a leading Russian opposition figure who has exposed corruption in Putin's ranks, was sentenced to five years in prison on an embezzlement charge that many believed was politically motivated.
Senators on Capitol Hill called for Navalny's immediate release and said the case is another example of Putin's Soviet-style attempts to silence his fiercest critics and consolidate his grip on power.
"Today's political conviction of Alexei Navalny continues Russia's turn back to the darker days of the Soviet Union when courts were weapons of tyranny rather than legitimate defenders of the rule of law," Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) said in a statement. "Like others throughout history, Navalny is a man fighting to free the country he loves. Trumped up charges and sham verdicts of political opponents, critics, and individuals who simply want to see a better future for their country, will only embolden, not end, the growing campaigns to name and shame corrupt officials and those who blatantly betray the trust of the Russian people."
"No one is fooled by the games being played here," Cardin said. "Navalny must be released free and unharmed."
The State Department took a softer approach when asked about the case Thursday afternoon. Spokeswoman Marie Harf would not say whether the United States would raise the issue with officials in Russia.
"We are very disappointed by the conviction and sentencing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and his co-defendant, Petr Ofitserov, to lengthy prison terms for alleged embezzlement by a court in the city of Kirov," Harf said.
"Throughout the case, we have expressed our concern about its apparent political motivation," Harf said. "We are troubled about the abuse of due process and the rule of law, as exemplified by the conduct of this trial, where the judge interfered with the defense's cross-examination and dismissed several of the defense's own witnesses. Their harsh prison sentences are the latest example of a disturbing trend in the Russian Federation of legislation, prosecutions and government actions aimed at suppressing dissent in civil society."
Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), a vocal critic of Putin's government, said Navalny's case is similar to the posthumous conviction last week of Russian activist Sergei Magnitsky, who died after being brutally imprisoned by Russian authorities for a year.
Navalny's conviction "would be a total farce if it were not so deeply tragic, especially for Russia," McCain said in a statement.
"Navalny's show trial, as well as the posthumous conviction last week of another opponent of corruption, Sergei Magnitsky, are only the most recent examples of how the Putin government seems determined to drag Russia back to some of the worst aspects of its past," McCain said.
Putin's government treats its opponents "as criminals, or worse," McCain said." But the free world knows who they really are: Russian patriots, servants of justice and truth, and the future leaders of their country. Navalny will likely spend the next five years of his life in prison. He will often be alone, but he will not be forgotten. Navalny and all of Russia’s political prisoners should be released immediately and we will continue to call for this."
Sen. Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) said, "Russia is not committed to upholding basic human rights" in a statement.
"Now, as in the days of Soviet control, Russian courts are being used as tools of persecution and repression, not institutions of justice and equality," Wicker said. "These types of cruelties isolate Russia on the global stage and could have grave consequences for the future of Europe."
Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) said that the verdict shows Putin's disregard for the rule of law.
"As the Kremlin itself made clear, the charges against him were politically motivated, and this ruling makes the world wonder whether Russia is more committed to attacks on political dissidence than it is to the rule of law," Murphy said in a statement. "Unfortunately, this is only the latest in a string of high profile cases pursued against those who challenge the ruling authorities. Navalny should be released immediately and allowed to continue his campaign for Mayor of Moscow."
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a wealthy Russian businessman who also has been targeted by Putin's government, said the guilty verdict was "inevitable and predictable."
Khodorkovsky lamented Russia's descent into authoritarianism.
"In Russia, there is nothing unusual about finding political opponents of the regime guilty of criminal offenses—both during the times of the Stalinist terror and in the Khrushchev/Brezhnev years, our law enforcement and judicial system routinely held up opponents of the regime as ordinary criminals, allowing the country’s leaders to hypocritically claim that we had no political prisoners," he said in a statement.
Khodorkovsky warned that unless the Russian people speak out against Putin's crackdown, "they are just going to keep on locking us up, one at a time."
Navalny was found guilty of embezzling about $500,000 in 2009.
Protests erupted outside the courtroom immediately following Navalny's verdict, according to CBS News.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration "is deeply disappointed and concerned by the conviction."
"Navalny's harsh prison sentence is the latest example of a disturbing trend of government actions aimed at suppressing dissent and civil society in Russia," Carney said. "The numerous procedural shortcomings in this case also reinforce our broader concerns about rule of law in Russia. We urge Russia to allow for a fair and impartial appeal of the verdict."
Carney went on to call on the Russian government to "cease its campaign of pressure against individuals and groups seeking to expose corruption and to ensure that the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of all of its citizens, including the freedoms of speech and assembly, are protected and respected."