Jailed Russian opposition leader Navalny wins top EU prize

BRUSSELS (AP) — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who narrowly survived a poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin, was awarded the European Union’s top human rights prize Wednesday in a clear slap at President Vladimir Putin.

In awarding the Sakharov Prize to Navalny, the European Parliament praised his “immense personal bravery.” The 45-year-old activist fell ill from a nerve agent poisoning last year and recuperated in Germany, then was promptly arrested upon his return to Moscow and later imprisoned.

“He has campaigned consistently against the corruption of Vladimir Putin’s regime, and through his social media accounts and political campaigns, Navalny has helped expose abuses and mobilize the support of millions of people across Russia. For this, he was poisoned and thrown in jail,” parliament President David Sassoli in a statement.

Sassoli called for the immediate release of Navalny, who is Putin's biggest domestic foe.

There was no immediate reaction to the award from the Kremlin, which denies any involvement in Navalny's poisoning.

Following his imprisonment, authorities unleashed a sweeping crackdown on his groups and associates. In June, a court outlawed Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption and a network of his regional offices as extremist organizations, a verdict that carries long prison terms for those associated with it. Several top allies have fled Russia, and courts have given suspended sentences and restricted travel to some others who remained.

An Interior Ministry wanted notice said Wednesday it is searching for Lyubov Sobol, a top Navalny associate who received a suspended sentence and faced travel restrictions. Her whereabouts are unknown, but Russian news reports suggested she has left the country.

The EU recognition of...