Russia
Scholz pays tribute to imprisoned opposition figure Navalny
Was arrested immediately when he voluntarily returned to Moscow in January 2021: Russia’s opposition leader Alexei Navalny. photo
© Uncredited/Moscow City Court/AP/dpa
Two years ago, the most prominent opponent of Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin barely survived an assassination attempt. Chancellor Scholz is now reminiscent of Alexej Navalny, who has now been imprisoned in Russia.
On the second anniversary of the poison attack on Alexei Navalny, Chancellor Olaf Scholz recalled the fate of the Kremlin opponent who was imprisoned in Russia.
“We should think about that now,” said the SPD politician in a video message. Because the Russian war against Ukraine also has consequences for Russia. “Freedom and democracy were threatened before. But now freedom of expression is even more threatened and many are afraid to speak their mind.”
This is precisely why it is so important to think about Navalny these days, Scholz emphasized. He is “unchanged a courageous man” and stands for the principles “that offer good prospects for many citizens of Russia. Namely, that life is best in a democracy and a constitutional state”.
The most prominent opponent of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin barely survived an assassination attempt with the chemical warfare agent Novichok on August 20, 2020 and recovered from it in Germany. When he voluntarily returned to Moscow in January 2021, he was immediately arrested. The 46-year-old has been in prison ever since.
Scholz said he spoke to Navalny during his time in Berlin and “met a courageous man who returned to Russia because he wanted to fight for democracy, freedom and the rule of law”.