The Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, died in prison days before his exchange for the Chechen Vadim Krasikov, convicted in Germany for the murder of a Georgian citizenas reported today by the team of the deceased politician.
(Also: Will Yulia Navalnaya be able to follow the work of her late husband Alexei Navalny in Russia?)
“Navalny should have been released in a few days, since we reached a decision on his exchange,” said Maria Pevchij, Navalny's close collaborator, in a video on YouTube.
(Keep reading: Bullets, poison and a plane crash: the fatal fate that haunts Putin's enemies)
He explained that, at the beginning of February, Russian President Vladimir Putin received the proposal to exchange his number one enemy and two other American citizens for Krasikovwho murdered the Georgian Zelimjan Jangoshvili in Berlin in August 2019.
Navalny should have been released in a few days, since we reached a decision on his exchange.
“I received confirmation that the negotiations were underway and were in their final phase on the afternoon of February 15,” that is, one day before the “murder” of the opponent, he stressed.
(Also: Europeans have little faith in a Ukrainian victory over Russia / Around the world)
The opponent specified that Navalny's co-religionists spent two years preparing the exchange and accused American and German officials of showing little political will..
“Why was Navalny killed now? They made it very clear to Putin that the only way to receive Krasikov is to exchange him for Navalny. 'Oh, yes?', Putin thought. I do not accept a Navalny in freedom. And If they are willing to exchange Krasikov, then we must get rid of the barter object,” he said.
Pevchij considers that Putin's decision to torpedo the exchange is “irrational” and “the behavior of a crazy gangster”, guided by the personal “hatred” he had for the opposition leader.
(Continue reading: '730 days fighting and we will win': Zelensky on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion)
“And Putin knows perfectly well that Alexei Navalny could have beaten him, that Navalny is the future and he is the past (…) Thanks to Navalny, Putin will go down in history as a coward, corrupt and thief,” he asserted.
(Also: 'Vladimir Putin's cruelty is getting worse every day': Rostyslav Kalatsynsky)
Krasikov's name was mentioned on several occasions by the American press in the possible exchange of Russian citizens for Americans such as Paul Whelan.who was sentenced to 16 years for espionage.
Furthermore, during the recent interview with the American journalist, Tucker Carlson, Putin alluded to a Russian “patriot”, in clear reference to Krasikov, as a possible object of exchange for the journalist of 'The Wall Street Journal', Evan Gershkovich.
The medical certificate given to Navalny's mother assures that The opposition leader died on February 16 of “natural causes” in the “Arctic Wolf” prison in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District..
(Keep reading: Two years of Russian invasion of Ukraine: a conflict of high human cost and uncertain ending)
This official version has been rejected by the opponent's co-religionists and the widow of the deceased, Yulia Naválnaya, who accuse the head of the Kremlin of ordering the killing of their leader.
When will Navalny's funeral be?
Meanwhile, the opposition leader's team confirmed that his funeral will take place this week in Moscow.
“We are looking for a space for Alexei's public farewell at the end of this working week. If you have a suitable location, please contact us,” Navalny's spokesperson Kira Yarmish wrote on X.
Iván Zhdanov, another close collaborator of the deceased politician, also confirmed this information and asked Navalny's followers to contact his team if they have a place for the opponent's funeral chapel.
According to the pro-government Telegram channel Shot, Navalny will be buried on February 29, coinciding with President Vladimir Putin's state of the nation address. at the Borisovo cemetery, southeast of Moscow.
At the same time, two other Moscow cemeteries – Jovanskoe (southwest) and Troyekurovskoye (west) – are being considered as places where the body of the main Russian opponent could be placed in the ground.
EFE
#Russian #opponent #Alexei #Navalny #died #days #exchange #prisoner #Germany