Russia’s best-known opposition determine died ultimate month whilst serving a 19-year sentence on extremism fees that supporters say had been politically motivated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned early on Monday that he supported an concept to unencumber Alexei Navalny in a prisoner change simply days ahead of the opposition chief died.
In his first feedback addressing Navalny’s dying, Putin mentioned of the dissident’s death: “It happens. There is nothing you can do about it. It’s life.”
The remarks had been extraordinary in that he again and again referenced Navalny by way of his title for the primary time in years.
They got here at a late-night information convention as effects poured in from a presidential election Putin gained a landslide victory.
Early returns confirmed him main with over 87% of the votes in a race without a pageant, after years of ruthlessly suppressing the opposition and crippling impartial media.
Navalny’s allies ultimate month additionally mentioned that talks with Russian and Western officers a few prisoner switch involving the Kremlin’s fiercest foe had been underway.
The flesh presser’s long-time affiliate Maria Pevchikh mentioned talks had been of their ultimate levels simply days ahead of Navalny’s unexpected and unexplained dying in an Arctic penal colony.
She accused Putin of “getting rid of” Navalny so as to not change him, however presented no proof to again her claims.
Euronews can’t independently test this declare.
Putin mentioned Monday, additionally with out providing any proof, that a number of days ahead of Navalny’s dying, “certain colleagues, not from the (presidential) administration” instructed him about “an idea to exchange Navalny for certain people held in penitentiary facilities in Western countries.”
He mentioned he supported the speculation.
“Believe it or not, but the person talking to me didn’t even finish their sentence when I said: ‘I agree,’” Putin mentioned in keeping with a query from a journalist about Navalny’s dying. He added that his one situation used to be that Navalny wouldn’t go back to Russia.
“But unfortunately, whatever happened, happened,” Putin mentioned.
Navalny, 47, Russia’s best-known opposition flesh presser, died ultimate month whilst serving a 19-year sentence on extremism fees that he rejected as politically motivated. His allies, members of the family and Western officers blamed the dying at the Kremlin – accusations Moscow has rejected.
The flesh presser’s buddies mentioned officers indexed “natural causes” on forms Navalny’s mom used to be proven when she used to be looking to retrieve his frame.
Navalny have been jailed since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow of his personal accord after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning he blamed at the Kremlin. He used to be in an instant arrested. The Kremlin has vehemently denied it used to be in the back of the poisoning.
Pevchikh claimed that there used to be a plan to switch Navalny and two US electorate held in Russia for Vadim Krasikov. He used to be serving a existence sentence in Germany for the 2019 killing in Berlin of Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen descent. German judges mentioned Krasikov acted at the orders of Russian government.
She didn’t establish the USA electorate that had been supposedly a part of the deal. There are a number of in custody in Russia, together with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage fees, and Paul Whelan, a company safety govt from Michigan, convicted of espionage and serving an extended jail sentence. They and the USA govt dispute the fees in opposition to them.
ADVERTISEMENTGerman officers have refused to remark when requested if there have been any effort by way of Russia to switch Krasikov.
Putin had previous mentioned that the Kremlin used to be open to negotiations on Gershkovich. He pointed to a person imprisoned in a “US-allied country” for “liquidating a bandit” who had allegedly killed Russian infantrymen all the way through separatist combating in Chechnya. Putin didn’t point out names however gave the impression to seek advice from Krasikov.
