Alexei Navalny's team said on Monday that an agreement to exchange the opponent with Russian authorities was “underway and in its final stages” before he died in prison 10 days ago.
• Also read: Yulia Navalnaïa accuses Putin of “taking hostage” the remains of his opponent
• Also read: Alexei Navalny's body was handed over to his mother
• Also read: Russian authorities threaten to bury Alexei Navalny in prison
According to Maria Pevtchikh, a close aide to Mr. Navalny, he should have been exchanged for a Russian imprisoned in Germany along with “two American citizens detained by Moscow.”
“I have received confirmation that the negotiations are ongoing and in their final stages,” she added, assuring that the opponent “should have been released in the coming days.”
According to Ms. Pevtchikh, her team “worked” for two years to “get” Alexei Navalny out of prison “at any cost” on the basis of an exchange of “Russian spies for political prisoners” in Russia.
- Listen to the interview with Renaud Girard, senior reporter and international columnist at Le Figaro, on Mathieu Bock-Côté's show QUB :
Washington and Berlin were aware of this, she continued, but regretted that they had “done nothing” despite initial “promises.”
After several months of no progress, the agreement was “put back on the table in December 2023,” Maria Pevtchikh said in a video.
Assassination attempt in Germany
According to Ms. Pevtchikh, Vadim Krassikov, who was sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 murder of a former Chechen separatist in a Berlin park, should be included in this prisoner exchange.
The German judiciary claims that this murder was ordered directly by the Russian authorities, who, however, have always denied any involvement.
It seems to be a reaction to “This is what I think”.
When questioned by journalists, the head of German diplomacy Annalena Baerbock refused to comment on the opposing team's statements.
The USA also declined to comment on possible participation in the negotiations over the release of the enemy.
“All I can say on this issue is that we have long been calling for the release of Alexei Navalny,” American diplomatic spokesman Matthew Miller told the press.
He also declined to comment on allegations that Mr. Navalny may have been killed as a result of an impending exchange. “As we have said before, we believe (Russian President) Vladimir Putin and the Russian government are responsible for his death,” Miller said.
“Public farewell” desired
On Monday, Matthew Miller, without providing further details on the content of the negotiations, recalled that Washington had proposed in December to exchange two Americans: Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested in March 2023, and a former Marine, Paul Whelan.
The circumstances of Alexei Navalny's death on February 16, which caused widespread outrage around the world, remain unclear. According to the Russian Penitentiary Service, he died as a result of a sudden malaise “after a walk.”
Several Western countries, including the US and Germany, have blamed Vladimir Putin.
According to their own statements, Alexei Navalny's team is currently looking for “a space for a public farewell (…) at the end of the week” from the former number one opponent in the Kremlin.
However, if his funeral were to be held publicly, there would be a risk that he would mobilize his supporters in large numbers and would be embarrassing for Vladimir Putin, who is heading for an unopposed presidential election scheduled for March 15-17 new coronation prepared.
After several days of waiting, Mr. Navalny's relatives said on Saturday that his body was handed over to his mother.
Vladimir Putin, for his part, despite his denials, has still not responded to the death of his main critic, who narrowly survived a poisoning in 2020, for which he already blamed the Kremlin chief.