Alexei Navalny Death Confirmed: Victim was Days Away from Freedom

Russia’s prominent opposition leader and anti-corruption advocate, Alexei Navalny, who passed away in an arctic prison colony, was reportedly on the brink of being released, as claimed by his allies. According to reports, Navalny was set to be part of a prisoner swap that would see him and two other US citizens exchanged for the Russian FSB officer, Vadin Krasikov, who is currently serving a sentence in a German prison.

The 58-year-old Krasikov, a high-ranking colonel in the Russian secret service, was given a life sentence in 2019 for his involvement in the murder of a Georgian citizen of Chechen descent named Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili. This incident led to diplomatic tensions between Russia and Germany, with Germany expelling two Russian diplomats in response.

Negotiations for Navalny’s Release ‘in Final Stages’: Pevchikh

Navalny’s spokesperson revealed that they had received confirmation that negotiations for his release were in their final stages on the evening of 15th February, the day before his untimely demise. She went on to suggest that Navalny’s death was orchestrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who allegedly could not tolerate the activist being freed. However, these claims were vehemently denied by Russia.

Kremlin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stated that he was not aware of any prisoner swap agreements involving Navalny. Despite this, Navalny’s spokesperson insisted that negotiations were nearing completion by 15th February, the day Navalny was declared dead by the Siberian penal colony authorities where he was incarcerated for 19 years. The 47-year-old activist was reported to have died after collapsing during a walk.

In a video statement, the chairwoman of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation disclosed that negotiations for Navalny’s release had been ongoing for two years and were entering their final phase. She emphasized the urgency of securing Navalny’s freedom, claiming that he “had to be freed from jail at any cost, and urgently.”