MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) - The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought up the Navalny issue while talking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"In regard to the situation around Navalny touched on by Blinken, the minister gave detailed explanations of the need to respect the laws and the judicial system of the Russian Federation," the statement reads.
"[Lavrov ] pointed out to the State Secretary the problems of the persecution in the U.S. of persons who protested the presidential election results, and urged ensuring the transparency of relevant court procedures."
Moscow's Simonovsky District Court ruled on February 2 to grant a motion by the Moscow branch of the Federal Penitentiary Service on replacing a suspended sentence earlier given to Navalny in the Yves Rocher case with real imprisonment of three years and six months.
U.S. and EU leaders condemned Navalny's sentence and called for his release.