Canada condemns verdict against Kremlin critic Navalny, calls for release of protesters

Canada on Tuesday condemned a Russian court's decision to jail Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and called on Moscow "to release all those unjustly detained for exercising their rights".

The comments were published on the Canadian foreign ministry's Twitter feed a few hours after Navalny was handed a three-and-a-half-year sentence for alleged parole violations. Riot police detained more than 5,300 people who took part in protests across Russia on Sunday calling for his release.