German government condemns Navalny detention

The German government on Monday condemned the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow and called for his immediate release.

"The Russian authorities have arrested the victim of an attempted assassination with a chemical weapon, not the perpetrator," government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin.

Navalny was arrested at passport control in Moscow on arrival after a flight from Berlin, following his recovery from poisoning by a nerve agent.The arrest drew criticism from Western nations, which called for his release.

"The German government strongly calls on the Russian government to first of all release Mr Navalny immediately and secondly to fully investigate the circumstances of the chemical weapons attack on Russian soil. Russia has everything it needs to do so," Seibert said.

A judge on Monday ordered Navalny to be remanded in custody for 30 days, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter.

The ruling concluded an hours-long court hearing set up at a police precinct where the politician was held since his arrest on Sunday.

Navalny's arrest adds another layer of tension to relations between Moscow and the West that have long been strained and were worsened by his poisoning.

(IMAGE CREDITS:AP)