Russia. Reactions to the death of Alexey Nawalneg

Yuri Resheto Aksei Strielnikov

Among them are mourning and speculation about the origin of death and fear of even greater repression in Russia.

Alexey Navalny. photograph screenshot / youtube

Although it has late gotten quieter around the most celebrated oppositionist in Russia, the news of his death in penal colony No. 3 behind the Arctic ellipse shook people in his homeland. Hundreds of Russians and Russians laid flowers at the memorials of victims of political persecution, spontaneously expressing their solidarity with Alexey Navalny. What, in Putin’s Russia, where Navalny was considered an enemy of state number one, is highly dangerous.

Only “blogger” for the head of the Kremlin

The Kremlin immediately responded to the news of Navalny's death, though comparatively restrained. Dmitri Pieskov, a spokesperson for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, appealed to doctors who should find the origin of Navalny's death, which indirectly confirmed the news of his death. The Kremlin chief himself has not spoken a word. Vladimir Putin is known for never mentioning Navalny's name. For the Russian president, the most celebrated oppositionist remained only a "blogger".

Almost no Russian politician dared to comment freely on Navalny's death. The vice-president of the abroad Affairs Committee of Duma, Vladimir Jabarov, simply rejected speculation that the oppositionist did not die a natural death.

– Russia had no reason to harm Navalny's health, absolutely not. This man did his punishment, there were inactive a fewer years before him. I think it was a tragic accident. specified things happen— said Jabarov.

"Premature Western Conclusions"

A spokesperson for the abroad Ministry Maria Zacharowa took the chance to criticise the West.

– There are inactive no results of medical examinations, yet the West is drawing its conclusions She said. She meant the reactions of many Western politicians in which the criticism of the Russian Kremlin policy and president Putin himself could be heard and read.

In Russia, only Ewa Merkaczkow, a associate of the Russian Council of Human Rights, allowed herself to be held back. She suspected that the prison conditions in which Navalny was surviving ruined his health. In particular, many penalties and in peculiar isolation. – These are very hard and even violent prison conditions – She pointed to Merkaczov.

“Our boy was healthy and joyful”

Alexey Navalny's household is shocked. While his wife, Julia, spoke at the Munich safety Conference and personally accused president Putin of the death of her husband, Navalny's mother, Ludmila, posted a Facebook message: "I don't want to perceive to condolence. We saw our boy in a penal camp, we visited him on February 12. He was alive, healthy and joyful.”

Doctor Aleksander Polupan besides spoke about Navalny's wellness in independent Russian media. He studied politics after his poisoning in 2020. He besides informed in subsequent years about Navalny's wellness condition. According to him, the origin of death widespread by Russian tv channel Russia Today, that as if blood clots had been torn apart, does not sound convincing. – Generally, his wellness was bad, as with any individual being held in specified terrible conditions. But someway I don't think the reason is credible. said the physician.

Also a polytholist Ekaterina Shulman expresses doubts as to whether Navalny died of natural death. In his interview with the DW, he mentions a court proceeding in which Navalny participated a fewer days ago. – He had the voice of a healthy, energetic man, not of a weakened person. erstwhile individual suffers from pneumonia, heart problems or hunger, they can be heard. A week ago, he was healthy and strong. For us, no version another than execution makes sense.

Charges against Putin

Even for opposition politician and erstwhile rival Putin, surviving in the exile of Mikhail Chodorkowski, it is clear. He thinks "independent of the formal origin of death, Vladimir Putin is liable for the premature death of Alexey, who was first tried to poison and later put in prison.” The president of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevichs, is of the same opinion. Oto appreciate that "no substance what individual may think of Alexey Navalny as a politician, he was brutally murdered by the Kremlin".

According to Russian political scientist Abbas Galjamov after the death of Alexey Navalny, Russian authorities will build a climate of fear of presidential elections. The death of politics will intimidate those who inactive dare to go against the Kremlin. Galjamov believes that Navalny's death will origin less people to take part in the elections in a month, which will yet affect their legality. But the power doesn't care anymore. “This legality concerns them as much as a crane in the sky” – writes Galjamov on the communicator Telegram.

Participation of Western services

On the Telegram, the political scientist Vladimir Pastuchin besides speaks, according to which authorities initially claim that Navalny's death was an accident. Later, however, this version will be eliminated by the fact that "it was killed by enemies of Russia". It will be examined whether Navalny was “not poisoned by another opponents with the support of the CIA, MI6 and MOSSAD”.

However, most of the loyal to the Kremlin politicalists follow the authoritative version that the death of Kremlin critic was an accident. any indeed propose a "west lead" and remind of the circumstances of the execution of oppositionist Boris Niemcow close the Kremlin. “Every time a light appears at the end of the war or our triumph begins to clearly draw, 1 of the Western peculiar Forces organizes a terrorist attack or a unusual case of death” – writes loyal to Kremlin political scientist Marat Bashkirov.

“To the very end a free man”

Some commentators closely associated with the government admit that Alexey Navalna was a man of strong will who could become “Russian Nelson Mandela”.

For an independent Moscow political expert, Alexander Kyniev, thanks to the willpower of the oppositionist remained to the very end a truly free man. His escape ended physically, but he became part of the past of Russian politics – Kynew writes on his channel on the Telegram. In his opinion, universities, streets and airports will be named after Navalny in the future. He stressed: "Life is always a choice". Alexey Navalny chose not his household or career, but "a goal beyond the horizon."

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