Not long after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was sentenced to 19 years in prison on Friday, U.S Secretary of State Anthony Blinken took to Twitter to condemn the sentence as politically motivated and anti-democratic. The statement was promptly panned by social media users who pointed to the Biden DOJ’s indictments of former President Donald Trump.
Navalny — a longtime Putin critic and Russian opposition leader — was sentenced on Friday to an additional 19 years in prison on charges inciting and financing “extremist activity” and “rehabilitating Nazi ideology,” among others. The opposition figure has proclaimed his innocence and stated that the charges represent “Stalinist” totalitarianism, an assessment that is largely agreed upon by Western governments, including the United States.
“The United States strongly condemns Russia’s conviction of opposition leader Aleksey Navalny on politically motivated charges,” U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken wrote in a tweet Friday. “The Kremlin cannot silence the truth. Navalny should be released.”
The United States strongly condemns Russia’s conviction of opposition leader Aleksey Navalny on politically motivated charges. The Kremlin cannot silence the truth. Navalny should be released.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 4, 2023
Almost immediately, Blinken’s replies were filled with comparisons to the Biden DOJ’s avalanche of indictments against their chief political rival, Donald Trump. If convicted on all charges — most of which hinge on bizarre and complex legal theories — the former president could face hundreds of years in prison.
“I love that you’re in on the joke,” wrote political commentator and journalist Mike Cernovich. Another reply referenced the recent sexual harassment lawsuit against heavyset pop singer Lizzo, writing, “You are Lizzo demanding her backup dancers lose weight.”
“Wow! I literally cannot believe that Vladimir Putin just sentenced his top political opponent to 19 years in jail,” conservative media strategist Greg Price chimed in. “I’m so glad we live in a free country where our government is only trying to imprison our president’s top political opponent for 641 years.”
Donald Trump Jr. also weighed in on the tweet, stating that Blinken has “ZERO self awareness.”
Exactly ZERO self awareness!!!
You really ceded the moral high ground here… Wonder where they got the idea that it’s acceptable to jail your political opposition? https://t.co/b8W0DFvm2T
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 5, 2023
While former President Trump is already facing effectively life in prison — with a few more life sentences tacked on for good measure — he is likely to face additional charges in Fulton County, Georgia.