INSIGHTi
Russia: Opposition Crackdown and U.S.
Policy
February 9, 2021
Opposition Crackdown
A crackdown on anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny and protesters supporting him has drawn
increased attention to human rights abuses in Russia under President Vladimir Putin. U.S. officials and
Members of Congress have condemned an August 2020 nerve agent attack on Navalny, his January 2021
imprisonment, and the suppression of pro-Navalny demonstrations. The Biden Administration and
international partners are expected to respond further to Russian human rights abuses and the apparent use
of a chemical weapon.
Recent developments indicate Russian authorities launched a campaign last year to silence Navalny, a
one-time Moscow mayoral candidate. Navalny has demonstrated acumen in exposing government
corruption and organizing anti-government actions, despite being barred from competing in elections
since 2013. In August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and fel il on a domestic flight to Moscow. His plane
made an emergency landing, and Navalny was hospitalized; after public outcry, authorities al owed him to
be evacuated to Germany for medical care. German officials later cited “unequivocal” evidence Navalny
had been poisoned with an il icit nerve agent known as a Novichok. An investigation by independent
researchers implicated several individuals linked to the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s leading
domestic security agency. Navalny, posing as a government official, later spoof-cal ed an al eged
operative who appeared to provide details of the attack.
Rather than seek asylum after recovering, Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, returned to Moscow,
where Navalny was detained at the airport on January 17, 2021. Authorities ostensibly arrested Navalny
for having missed parole check-ins, including during his hospitalization abroad. Navalny’s parole was
related to a 3½-year suspended sentence he received in 2014 on embezzlement charges the European
Court of Human Rights found to be “arbitrary, unfair and manifestly unreasonable.” On February 2, a
Russian court ordered Navalny to be imprisoned for 32 months of his suspended sentence (the court
subtracted time served during house arrest). Navalny was imprisoned several times in the past for
participation in unsanctioned protests. He was attacked twice with a harmful chemical substance in 2017
and possibly poisoned another time while in prison.
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Even after his latest arrest, Navalny has continued efforts to expose corruption and undermine Putin’s
leadership. Navalny’s team released a documentary film purporting to present evidence of corruption
under Putin that has received over 100 mil ion views online. In court, Navalny said Putin was a “thieving
little man” who would go down in history as “Vladimir the Poisoner of Underpants.”
Navalny’s imprisonment has sparked mass demonstrations across Russia. Authorities have forcibly
broken up protests and detained thousands of participants. Navalny associates are under house arrest.
Together with the United States, the European Union (EU), the Group of Seven (G7), and others have
condemned the crackdown. The EU imposed sanctions on six Russian officials and a research institute in
response to the use of chemical weapons in the Navalny “assassination attempt” and may consider further
measures. During senior EU official Josep Borrel ’s February 2021 visit to Moscow, Russia expel ed three
European diplomats for al egedly participating in pro-Navalny demonstrations. Borrel said Russian
authorities were not interested in a “constructive dialogue” and that “Europe and Russia are drifting
apart.”
U.S. Policy
If the U.S. government determines the Russian government was responsible for the nerve agent attack on
Navalny, it may impose sanctions on Russia pursuant to the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control
and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (22 U.S.C. §§5601 et seq.). The United States also could impose
sanctions pursuant to other authorities, including the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of
2012 (22 U.S.C. §5811 note).
The Trump and Biden Administrations, together with some Members of Congress, have criticized
Russia’s crackdown. In September 2020, then-Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Stephen Biegun expressed
“grave concern” about the attack on Navalny and noted, “the use of [a] chemical weapon by Russia would
be a clear violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.” On January 17, 2021,
then-Secretary of State Michael Pompeo condemned Navalny’s arrest. The Trump Administration did not
make a formal determination that Russia was responsible for the attack or impose sanctions in response.
President Biden addressed Navalny’s poisoning in a January 26 telephone cal with President Putin and
included the issue in a tasking to the intel igence community for a “full assessment” of key issues in U.S.-
Russia relations (together with the SolarWinds cyber breach of U.S. government agencies, interference in
the 2020 presidential election, and al eged bounties to the Taliban for attacks on U.S. forces in
Afghanistan). In a February 4 foreign policy speech, President Biden cal ed Navalny’s imprisonment
“political y motivated” and said, “Russian efforts to suppress freedom of expression and peaceful
assembly are a matter of deep concern to us and the international community.” The State Department
indicated the United States wil “coordinate closely with our al ies and partners to hold Russia
accountable” and cal ed on Russia to “credibly explain the use of a chemical weapon on its soil.”
Many observers expect the Biden Administration to consider a firm response to various Russian malign
activities. In addition to responding to Navalny’s imprisonment, the Biden Administration has broached
the plight of U.S. citizens imprisoned in Russia. On February 2, the State Department said the United
States was “seriously concerned over the treatments of American citizens Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed.”
On February 3, the White House cal ed on Russia to “swiftly release” both Americans.
On February 3, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a five-year extension of the New
START nuclear arms treaty with Russia. He noted, “Even as we work with Russia to advance U.S.
interests, so too wil we work to hold Russia to account for adversarial actions as wel as its human rights
abuses, in close coordination with our al ies and partners.” Members of Congress likely wil consider
additional measures in response to the Russian crackdown and assess the Administration’s review of
policy toward Russia.

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On related issues, see CRS Report R46518, Russia: Domestic Politics and Economy; CRS Report
R46616, Russian Military Intelligence: Background and Issues for Congress; and CRS In Focus IF10962,
Russia, the Skripal Poisoning, and U.S. Sanctions.

Author Information

Cory Welt

Specialist in Russian and European Affairs




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