Russia: Navalny's relatives say an agreement for an exchange was close before his death
According to Alexeï Navalny's team, which spoke on Monday February 26, an agreement to exchange the opponent was "
in progress and in its final phase
" with the Russian authorities before his death in prison.
There was talk of an exchange of “
Russian spies for political prisoners
”.
Alexei Navalny via video link from the IK-2 correctional penal colony in Pokrov, May 17, 2022. REUTERS - EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA
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Alexeï Navalny was perhaps close to release
before his sudden disappearance and in unclear circumstances
, which occurred on February 16 in prison.
According to Maria Pevtchikh, a collaborator of the political opponent, he should have been exchanged along with “
two American citizens
” detained by Moscow for a Russian imprisoned in Germany.
“
I received confirmation that the negotiations were underway and in their final phase
,” she explains, specifying that Alexeï Navalny “
should have been released in the coming days
”.
Those close to Vladimir Putin's political opponent had been working for two years to "
get
" Navalny out of prison "
at all costs
", on the basis of an exchange of "
Russian spies for political prisoners
" detained in Russia.
Vadim Krassikov, murderer imprisoned in Germany, was included in the exchange
The United States and Germany were aware of this ongoing process, assures Maria Pevtchikh, without specifying exactly the role of the two chancelleries in the discussions.
After several months without progress, the agreement “
was put back on the table in December
” 2023. According to her,
Vadim Krassikov, sentenced to life imprisonment for the assassination in 2019 in a Berlin park of a former Chechen separatist
, was to be included in this exchange of prisoners.
German justice had affirmed that this murder in the capital was directly ordered by the Russian authorities, who have always denied any involvement.
When questioned by journalists, the German government spokesperson refused to comment on the statements by Navalny's team.
After several days of friction, Russian authorities handed over the body of Alexei Navalny to his family on February 24.
The progress of the
opponent's funeral
is, for the moment, still unknown.
Moscow would put pressure so that these funerals do not become a political platform for the Russian opposition, while the presidential election is scheduled for mid-March.
Also listen to Alexeï Navalny, the Russian martyr
(
and with AFP
)
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