Russian President Vladimir Putin has disclosed that he backed the idea of releasing late opposition leader Alexey Navalny in a prisoner exchange just days before Navalny's death.
Putin made the statement early Monday, March 18, expressing his support for releasing Navalny, his prominent adversary.
In his first comments addressing Navalny's death, Putin remarked, "It happens. There is nothing you can do about it. It's life."
The comments were noteworthy as Putin referred to Navalny by name for the first time in years, and they were made during a late-night news conference as results from a presidential election that will extend his rule by another 6 years were being announced.
Preliminary results showed Putin leading with over 87% of the votes in a race lacking competition, following years of stifling the opposition and shutting down independent media.
Navalny's allies had previously mentioned that discussions with Russian and Western officials about a prisoner swap involving Navalny were ongoing. Maria Pevchikh, Navalny's long-time associate, stated that the talks were in their final stages just days before the Kremlin critic's sudden and unexplained death in an Arctic penal colony.
She accused Putin of "getting rid of" Navalny to avoid an exchange, but provided no evidence to support her claims, which could not be independently verified.
Putin also said Monday, without offering any evidence, that "several days before Navalny's death, certain colleagues, not from the (presidential) administration," informed him about "an idea to exchange Navalny for certain people held in penitentiary facilities in Western countries." He stated that he supported the idea.
"Believe it or not, but the person talking to me didn't even finish their sentence when I said: 'I agree,'" Putin said in response to a journalist's question about Navalny's death. He added that his only condition was that Navalny wouldn't return to Russia.
"Whatever happened, happened," Putin concluded.
Navalny, 47, Russia's most well-known opposition politician, died last month while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges that he dismissed as politically motivated. His allies, family members, and Western officials blamed the Kremlin, accusations that were denied by the Kremlin.
Navalny's associates said officials listed "natural causes" on paperwork shown to Navalny's mother when she attempted to retrieve his body.
Navalny had been imprisoned since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow voluntarily after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin. He was promptly arrested. The Kremlin has vehemently denied involvement in the poisoning.
No comments:
Post a Comment