Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned early Monday that he supported an concept to launch opposition chief Alexei Navalny in a prisoner change simply days earlier than the person who was his largest foe died.
In his first feedback to deal with Navalny’s demise, Putin mentioned of the dissident’s demise: “It occurs. There’s nothing you are able to do about it. It is life.”
The remarks have been uncommon in that he repeatedly referenced Navalny by his title for the primary time in years — and that they got here at a late-night information convention as outcomes poured in from a presidential election that’s sure to increase his rule.
Early returns confirmed him main with over 87% of the votes in a race with no competitors, after years of ruthlessly suppressing the opposition and crippling impartial media.
Navalny’s allies final month additionally mentioned that talks with Russian and Western officers a couple of prisoner swap involving Navalny have been underway. The politician’s longtime affiliate Maria Pevchikh mentioned the talks have been of their remaining levels simply days earlier than the Kremlin critic’s sudden and unexplained demise in an Arctic penal colony.
She accused Putin of “eliminating” Navalny so as to not change him, however supplied no proof to again her claims, they usually couldn’t be independently confirmed.
Putin mentioned Monday, additionally with out providing any proof, that a number of days earlier than Navalny’s demise, “sure colleagues, not from the (presidential) administration” advised him about “an concept to change Navalny for sure individuals held in penitentiary services in western nations.” He mentioned he supported the concept.
“Consider it or not, however the individual speaking to me did not even end their sentence after I mentioned: ‘I agree,'” Putin mentioned in response to a query from a journalist about Navalny’s demise. He added that his one situation was that Navalny would not return to Russia.
“However sadly, no matter occurred, occurred,” Putin mentioned.
Navalny, 47, Russia’s best-known opposition politician, died final month whereas serving a 19-year sentence on extremism costs that he rejected as politically motivated. His allies, members of the family and Western officers blamed the demise on the Kremlin, accusations it has rejected.
The politician’s associates mentioned officers listed “pure causes” on paperwork Navalny’s mom was proven when she was attempting to retrieve his physique.
Navalny had been jailed since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow of his personal accord after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. He was instantly arrested. The Kremlin has vehemently denied it was behind the poisoning.
Pevchikh claimed that there was a plan to swap Navalny and two U.S. residents held in Russia for Vadim Krasikov. He was serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 killing in Berlin of Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen descent. German judges mentioned Krasikov acted on the orders of Russian authorities.
She didn’t establish the U.S. residents that have been supposedly a part of the deal. There are a number of in custody in Russia, together with Wall Road Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage costs, and Paul Whelan, a company safety govt from Michigan, convicted of espionage and serving a protracted jail sentence. They and the U.S. authorities dispute the fees in opposition to them.
German officers have refused to remark when requested if there had been any effort by Russia to swap Krasikov.
Putin had earlier mentioned that the Kremlin was open to negotiations on Gershkovich. He pointed to a person imprisoned in a “U.S.-allied nation” for “liquidating a bandit” who had allegedly killed Russian troopers throughout separatist preventing in Chechnya. Putin didn’t point out names however appeared to discuss with Krasikov.
