Release Navalny immediately, senior Biden aide tells Russia

The perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable, says Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden's incoming White House national security adviser

Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny. File Photo.

Russia should immediately release Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was detained on arrival in Moscow on Sunday after returning from Germany for the first time since his poisoning last summer, oneof U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's top aides said.

"Mr. Navalny should be immediately released, and the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable," Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden's incoming White House national security adviser, said on Twitter.

"The Kremlin's attacks on Mr. Navalny are not just a violation of human rights,but an affront to the Russian people who want their voices heard."