Diplomatic reactions are increasing in Europe after the death in prison of opponent Alexeï Navalny. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, announced on Monday February 19 that he had summoned the Russian ambassador to France.
“I requested the summons of the Russian ambassador today at 6:30 p.m.” (Paris time), he declared during a trip to Argentina, believing that “the regime of Vladimir Putin has a once again shown his true nature.
A diplomatic source told AFP that the Russian ambassador had been received at the indicated time.
Read alsoDeath of Alexeï Navalny in detention: “This disappearance opens an abyss”
The head of French diplomacy is visiting Argentina on Monday and Tuesday, for his first trip to Latin America. At midday, he met the Argentine president, the ultra-liberal Javier Milei, then a little later his counterpart Diana Mondino.
Russian diplomats summoned to London on Friday
Madrid, Stockholm, Berlin, The Hague and Oslo also announced that they had summoned the Russian ambassador stationed in their country.
“During this meeting, Norway will express its point of view regarding the responsibility of the Russian authorities in this death and to facilitate a transparent investigation,” reports a press release from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which specifies that the meeting will take place very soon .
“It is terrible that Alexeï Navalny has paid the ultimate price for his fight for a free and democratic Russia,” declared on X Hanke Bruins Slot, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, who demanded “clarification on his death". “We strongly call on Russia to hand over Navalny’s body to his family and loved ones.”
It is terrible that Alexei #Navalny has paid the ultimate price for his fight for a free and democratic Russia. This afternoon, I summoned the Russian ambassador to the ministry to request clarification on his death. 1/2
— Hanke Bruins Slot (@HankeBruinsSlot) February 19, 2024
The Swedish government has also taken the initiative at the European level to examine the possibility of new sanctions against Moscow, according to the press release.
The British government, for its part, summoned diplomats from the Russian embassy on Friday evening to let them know that the Russian authorities would be held "fully responsible" for the death of the number one opponent of the Kremlin.
The death of Alexei Navalny, 47, in a remote Arctic prison where he was serving a 19-year sentence after surviving a poisoning in 2020 for which he blamed the Kremlin, was announced on Friday. He died after three years of detention. Westerners hold the Russian authorities responsible for this death.
With AFP
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