Navalny’s death shows how brutally the Russian leadership deals with opponents. The pressure is increasing to release prisoners from Russian prisons – also in exchange for the “Tiergarten murderer”?
“The assassination of Alexei Navalny means that Vladimir Kara-Mursa is the next target. The similarities between Kara-Mursa and Navalny are very strong,” says Bill Browder. The British entrepreneur is himself in the crosshairs of the Russian authorities and supports political prisoners like Kara-Mursa.
Browder explains: “Navalny and Kara-Mursa were poisoned because of their opposition work against Putin. Both were sentenced to extremely long prison terms. Both were sent to Siberian prisons and solitary confinement. They continued to oppose Putin. One of them was killed, the other is standing “Now on the hit list. This makes it all the more urgent to save Vladimir Kara-Mursa. Because we couldn’t save Alexei Navalny.”
That’s why Browder has now changed his mind. Until now, he had spoken out against exchanging the convicted “Tiergarten murderer” Vadim Krassikov for prisoners in Russia. Now he says: “I would rather exchange a murderer than lose Vladimir.”
Life for the hitman
On August 23, 2019, Krasikov shot the Chechen-born Georgian Selimchan Changoschwili in Berlin – a murder at lunchtime in the busy Kleiner Tiergarten park. At the end of 2021, after 56 days of trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Berlin Court of Appeal. The court spoke of “state terrorism”.
In legal and political circles in Berlin it was previously said that the legally convicted perpetrator should have served at least ten years in prison before he could be deported. Krasikov denied everything until the end. He showed no remorse or even regret – just like Vladimir Putin, who eloquently justified the murder in three public appearances.
Changoshvili’s brother Zurab can understand the family’s desire to do everything they can to free prisoners in Russian prisons. But he at least wants the helpers and people behind the “Tiergarten murder” to be found and brought to justice. This and the German authorities’ treatment of his family embitter him. Because after their asylum applications are rejected, they have to face daily deportation to Georgia, where he fears for his life and that of his eldest son.
A high price
However, if the “Tiergarten Murderer” returns to Russia, a triumphal procession would be expected. As with other Russian criminals convicted abroad, the state could roll out the red carpet for him, award him medals, a seat in the Duma and other privileges.
Putin could convey to his followers that he will not abandon them. Contract killers in the service of the state would feel motivated to carry out attacks on opponents of the regime and “traitors” abroad – as has probably just happened in Spain: a former Russian helicopter pilot who defected to the Ukrainians last year was found dead near Alicante.
He had half a dozen bullets in his body and had also been run over by a car, as reported by the Spanish news agency Efe. Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergei Narishkin called him a “traitor.”
More comprehensive Prisoner exchange?
Browder has so far been in favor of exchanging other Russian nationals in custody instead of Krassikov. The arms dealer Viktor But was swapped for US basketball player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in a camp for possessing a small amount of hashish oil.
Browder is working on a list of Russian prisoners abroad. He doesn’t want to go into detail, just this: “There are now about 60. The Russians don’t care about most of their prisoners, but some are important to them.”
Browder used the security conference in Munich to talk to high-ranking politicians about it: “I met with about ten foreign ministers. A number of countries would be open to a comprehensive prisoner exchange. There is a fairly broad consensus on that.”
Arrested for cannabis gummy bears
However, the trade in prisoners could become a business for Russia and other dictatorships. The Foreign Office has been warning German citizens and dual nationals against “arbitrary arrests” when traveling to Russia for some time.
Already in 2021, a Russian-German was arrested for alleged espionage in Russia and, according to Russian media reports, was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison in 2023. A new case was added a few days ago: On February 14, the Foreign Office confirmed the arrest of a 38-year-old German at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg.
The Russian border authorities confiscated six cannabis gummy bears from him. He wanted to meet a Russian woman, an online acquaintance. In a video from the authority, the man can be seen with a backpack and a bag with a colorful print. Given the strict drug laws in Russia, he faces seven years in prison.
During a press conference, a spokesman for the Foreign Office called speculation that it could be a similar case to the basketball player Griner “purely speculative.” The man is receiving consular support and the German authorities are in contact with his lawyers.
Putin demands replacement of Krassikov
In the Griner case, it became known in July 2022 that the Russian side had used an informal communication channel from the FSB secret service to Washington to demand an exchange of Krassikov.
Putin has now spoken openly about the fact that he wants the hit man back: During an interview with the ultra-right ex-moderator of the US channel “Fox News” Tucker Carlson, he did not mention the name of the murderer or the victim. But from his descriptions it became clear that he wanted to exchange Wall Street journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been imprisoned for almost a year, for Krassikov.
Russian journalists have been rumoring for months, citing various anonymous sources, that negotiations are underway about Krassikov, who is sitting in a German prison under high security.
Federal Government gives no opinion
A decision would rest with the federal government. It could instruct the Federal Prosecutor’s Office to refrain from further enforcing the sentence. According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, this is also possible with life imprisonment. Then Krassikov could be deported to Russia. A government spokesman said this when asked tagesschau.de with: “The federal government has no comment or position on the matter.”
Navalny’s death now increases the pressure to act on behalf of Gershkovich, Kara-Mursa and many other prisoners. However, successful negotiations in the past were characterized by the fact that they took place behind closed doors and nothing was leaked until the day of the exchange.