Lithuania: Leonid Volkov, close to Navalny in exile, attacked in front of his home
Leonid Volkov, a Russian opponent in exile and close to Alexeï Navalny, was the victim of an attack on Tuesday March 12 outside his home in Lithuania, said a Russian opposition media and the former spokesperson by Navalny.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, speaks during an interview at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, December 14, 2021. © Frederick Florin / AFP
By: RFI with AFP
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The Lithuanian
Foreign Ministry
, Gabrielius Landsbergis, condemned a “
shocking
” attack and assured, in a message on X, that its perpetrators will have to “
answer for their crimes
”.
“
Leonid Volkov was just attacked outside his house.
Someone broke a car window and sprayed tear gas in his eyes before starting to hit Leonid with a hammer ,” said Kira Yarmysh,
Navalny
’s ex-spokesperson
, who died in detention in Russia on February 16.
Those close to Navalny released photos showing Leonid Volkov's injuries, including a black eye, a red mark on his forehead and blood on one of his legs.
They then shared a photo showing him being transported on a stretcher into an ambulance.
He accused Vladimir Putin of being directly responsible for Navalny's death
A Lithuanian police spokesman, Ramunas Matonis, confirmed that a Russian citizen was attacked near his home in the capital Vilnius at around 10:00 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT).
“
A large number of police officers are working on the scene
,” he added.
No suspect has been identified and more details on this attack should be communicated Wednesday morning, the spokesperson said.
Police confirmed that Leonid Volkov had been hospitalized.
Leonid Volkov, 43, is one of Russia's leading opposition figures and was one of Navalny's lieutenants.
Leonid Volkov is a former chief of staff of Navalny and chaired until 2023 the anti-corruption foundation founded by the former number one opponent of Vladimir Putin.
Leonid Volkov accused the Russian president of being directly responsible for Navalny's death.
This attack comes
almost a month after the death
of Alexeï Navalny in detention, on February 16, in a Russian prison in the Arctic and a
few days before the presidential election in Russia
which should mark the triumph of Vladimir Putin, for lack of real opponents .
A NATO member country, Lithuania hosts many Russians in exile and has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
Read alsoRussia: tributes to opponent Navalny continue to pour in the day after his funeral
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