Finnish president raises Navalny question on call with Putin

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö has raised the question of jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny during a call he initiated with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Niinistö discussed the "implications for relations between European countries and Russia" of Navalny's ongoing detention, according to a statement from the Finnish leader's office.

Imprisoning the Russian opposition leader on return to the country had been a "tough move," Niinistö later told Finnish reporters, adding that he had not coordinated the call with European leaders beforehand.