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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 20 January 2021
Kremlin brushes aside Western calls to release Navalny

By DARIA LITVINOVA while aboard a domestic
Associated Press flight from Siberia to Mos-
MOSCOW (AP) — The Krem- cow on Aug. 20 and was
lin on Tuesday brushed flown to a Berlin hospital
aside calls from the West to two days later. Labs in Ger-
release opposition leader many, France and Sweden,
Alexei Navalny, who was and tests by the Organiza-
arrested upon his return to tion for the Prohibition of
Russia from Germany fol- Chemical Weapons, estab-
lowing treatment for poi- lished that he was exposed
soning with a nerve agent. to a Soviet-era Novichok
Moscow called his case nerve agent.
“an absolutely internal Russian authorities insisted
matter.” that the doctors who treat-
Navalny blames his poison- ed Navalny in Siberia found
ing on President Vladimir no traces of poison and re-
Putin’s government, which fused to open a full-fledged
has denied it. The condem- criminal investigation.
nations of his arrest and the After Navalny was jailed
calls from abroad for his re- Monday, his allies an-
lease have added to the nounced preparations for
existing tensions between nationwide protests on Sat-
Russia and the West. Some urday and released a vid-
European Union countries In this image taken from video released by Navalny Life youtube channel, Russian opposition eo of Navalny urging peo-
are suggesting more sanc- leader Alexei Navalny speaks as he waits for a court hearing in a police station in Khimki, outside ple to not “be afraid” and
in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021.
tions against Moscow. Associated Press “take to the streets.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that while the
Peskov told reporters that Sunday evening at pass- Russia’s most prominent He has interpreted the calls to take to the streets
“we can’t and are not port control at Moscow’s opposition figure and anti- crackdown against him as were “alarming,” the Krem-
going to take these state- Sheremetyevo airport after corruption campaigner, vi- a sign of Putin’s fear. Pes- lin didn’t fear mass protests.
ments into account.” arriving from Berlin, where olated the probation terms kov dismissed suggestions Also on Tuesday, Naval-
“We are talking about a he was treated following of his suspended sentence that Putin was afraid of Na- ny’s team released a two-
fact of noncompliance the poisoning in August. On on a 2014 money-launder- valny as “nonsense” and in- hour video investigation
with the Russian law by a Monday, he was ordered ing conviction, which was sisted that he had violated of what they called “Pu-
citizen of Russia. This is an to pre-trial detention for 30 deemed “arbitrary” by the the law. The spokesman tin’s palace” — an estate
absolutely internal matter days during a court hear- European Court of Human said the questions law en- on Russia’s Black Sea that
and we will not allow any- ing that was hastily set up Rights. forcement had for Navalny they said cost $1.3 billion
one to interfere in it and do in a police precinct where Officials are seeking to send “have nothing whatsoever and was allegedly funded
not intend to listen to such Navalny was being held. Navalny to prison to serve to do with the Russian presi- through an elaborate cor-
statements,” Peskov said. Russia’s prison service the 3 1/2-year suspended dent.” ruption scheme involving
Navalny, 44, was detained maintains that Navalny, sentence. Navalny fell into a coma Putin’s inner circle. q

Dutch govt to beef up lockdown amid fears about new variants

By MIKE CORDER sures amid concerns However, it added that the virus have been com- mains in office in caretak-
Associated Press about new mutations the decrease was “over- plicated by the govern- er mode until a new gov-
THE HAGUE, Netherlands triggering a fresh surge shadowed” by a rise in ment’s resignation on Fri- ernment is formed after
(AP) — The Dutch gov- in cases.The Netherlands the percentage of people day over a scandal involv- March 17 elections and
ernment said Tuesday it has been in a tough lock- who have a new, more ing thousands of parents will have to seek backing
needs to beef up lock- down for a month and will transmissible variant of the wrongly being labeled from lawmakers for any
down measures “as soon remain that way at least virus that led to a sharp fraudsters by the country’s new measures. It remains
as possible” to rein in the until at least Feb. 9, but the spike in infections in the tax office. unclear if Rutte can find a
spread of the coronavirus slow decrease in the num- United Kingdom and Ire- Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s majority in parliament to
amid fears about more ber of new infections and land. four-party coalition re- support a curfew. q
transmissible variants. the threat posed by new Some 10% of new infec-
Health Minister Hugo de variants have prompted tions are with the new vari-
Jonge said in a letter to the government to consid- ant and the institute said
parliament that the gov- er a tightening that is ex- it expects that to rise to at
ernment will announce ex- pected to include a cur- least 50% by mid-February.
tra measures on Wednes- few for the first time since The institute said in a state-
day afternoon. the pandemic began. ment that there are now
The Netherlands is not The Dutch public health “two separate corona
alone in considering institute announced Tues- epidemics. An epidemic
tougher measures. In day that new infections with the ‘old’ variant in
neighboring Germany, decreased by 21.5% over which infections are fall-
Chancellor Angela Merkel the past week to 38,776, ing, and an epidemic with
was holding a virtual meet- in what it called a “mod- the British variant in which
ing with the governors of erately positive picture” the number of infections is The capital’s popular Nine Streets shopping area is near-
the country’s 16 states to of the effects of the lock- rising.” deserted during lockdown in Amsterdam, Thursday, Jan. 14,
2021.
discuss pandemic mea- down. Dutch efforts to tackle Associated Press