The opposition figure who died in Russian custody Alexei Navalny According to confidants, he was about to be released as part of a prisoner exchange. That was the reason for the timing of his targeted killing. “We know why Alexei was killed now,” wrote Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysch on platform X. “He should literally be replaced these days. An offer has been made to Putin.”
“Alexei Navalny should have been sitting in my seat today, right now,” said Maria Pewtschich, who is also one of Navalny’s closest confidants, in a YouTube video linked by Yarmysch. “Navalny should be free in the coming days because we have secured a decision on his exchange.”
Negotiations reportedly “in their final stages” a day before Navalny’s death
Accordingly, the Russian President should Wladimir Putin At the beginning of February we received an offer that Vadim Krasikov, who was imprisoned in Germany, could be released. The so-called Tiergarten murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021 for the murder of a Georgian in the Kleiner Tiergarten in Berlin.
In return, Putin should release “two US citizens” and Navalny. “I received confirmation on the evening of February 15th that the negotiations were in their final stages,” said Pewtschich. Announced a day later of Russia Prison authorities confirm Navalny’s death.
Russian billionaire Abramovich is said to have mediated in the Navalny case
Only after Navalny’s death did Pevchich learn that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was the person who informed Putin about the offer of an exchange. She described it as an “unofficial communication channel” that represents Putin in talks with Western government circles. Abramovich was involved in exploratory talks between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022 about starting ceasefire negotiations, which did not materialize.
Pevchich said that Abramovich neither confirmed nor denied his role as an alleged mediator in Navalny’s case. She did not provide any documents or other evidence of discussions about a prisoner exchange in the video.
“The behavior of a crazy mafioso”
Navalny’s release was the only way for Putin to get Krasikov released. But because Putin “did not want to tolerate” the opposition member being released, he wanted to get rid of the “object of the exchange,” Pevchich accused him. “This is absolutely illogical, absolutely irrational, this is the behavior of a crazy mafioso.” Putin is “obsessed with his hatred of Navalny.”
Navalny’s wife Julija Navalnaya said in a video speech shortly after her husband’s death that she and his employees knew why Navalny was “killed” in mid-February. She announced that further details would be published in the near future, which probably meant Pewtschich’s speech. Navalnaya announced that she would continue the fight against Vladimir Putin’s regime in her husband’s place, but did not mention any plans for concrete protest measures.
The announcement of Navalny’s death on February 16 was accompanied by several anomalies. It was published by the prison authorities just two minutes after the alleged time of the opposition member’s death. Navalny’s supporters doubt the timing. Reports of noticeable deviations from daily routine in the prison on the day before Navalny’s death also contribute to mistrust.
Navalny’s team is planning a public memorial service
The Russian authorities also refused for days to hand over Navalny’s body to his relatives. It was only on Saturday that they handed him over to his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya. Navalny’s spokeswoman said on Saturday after the body was returned that it was still unclear whether the funeral could take place “as the family wishes and as Alexei deserves.”
Navalny’s team wants to organize a public memorial service in Moscow by Friday. “We are looking for a hall for the public farewell to Alexei,” wrote his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysch on X. His mother had called for a public funeral so that not only family members but also supporters could say goodbye to the opposition leader. She refused a request from investigators to agree to a secret funeral and publicly accused the authorities of blackmail.
Navalny has been one of Russia’s best-known opposition figures since the early 1900s. In 2018 he was barred from taking part in the presidential election. In 2020 he was allegedly poisoned by Russian secret services with the chemical weapon Novichok and survived the attack. After his treatment in Berlin, he returned to Russia in January 2021 and was arrested at the airport in Moscow and has been imprisoned since then. In December 2023, prison authorities moved Navalny to the remote Polarwolf penal camp in northern Russia.
The opposition figure who died in Russian custody Alexei Navalny According to confidants, he was about to be released as part of a prisoner exchange. That was the reason for the timing of his targeted killing. “We know why Alexei was killed now,” wrote Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysch on platform X. “He should literally be replaced these days. An offer has been made to Putin.”
“Alexei Navalny should have been sitting in my seat today, right now,” said Maria Pewtschich, who is also one of Navalny’s closest confidants, in a YouTube video linked by Yarmysch. “Navalny should be free in the coming days because we have secured a decision on his exchange.”