Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rebuked Russia for human rights violations entailed in the arrest of a blogger who protested Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reported election fraud, as Clinton criticized Russia — along with Syria, Iran, and China — in a speech likely to exacerbate the tension between Clinton and Putin.
“Perhaps the most well-known blogger in Russia, Alexei Navalny was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 days in jail after he took part in protests over the Russian elections,” Clinton observed, during a speech at The Hague on internet freedom, immediately after mentioning internet freedom violations in Syria and Iran.
Clinton made clear that such interference by a government as a human rights violation. “The right to express one’s views, practice one’s faith, peacefully assemble with others to pursue political or social change,” she declared, “these are all rights to which all human beings are entitled whether they choose to exercise them in a city square or an internet chat room.”
That rebuke of Russia extends the sharp criticisms exchanged between the Russian and U.S. governments. Putin has blamed Hillary Clinton for encouraging the protests of his election, widely reported to have been comprised by election fraud.
