Putin's personal responsibility in Navalny's demise: A chilling view from political scientist
"I have no doubt about it. Putin personally takes responsibility for the death of Alexey Navalny. This was his decision," Ivan Prieobrajenski told wyborcza.pl.
The political scientist noted that the exact time of the Russian opposition member's death is not confirmed. "I don't rule out the possibility that Putin was present during the act," he added. Nonetheless, Prieobrajenski emphasized that it is uncertain whether the president of Russia would make such a decision.
"Unlike Alexander Lukashenko, who has witnessed the torture of Belarusian opposition members multiple times, Putin does not appreciate personally observing such unpalatable, distasteful scenes," he said. He added, "he finally rid himself of the danger that had haunted him for years."
Desired to see Navalny's body, but mother and lawyers were denied access
Alexey Navalny was detained and incarcerated upon his return to Russia from Germany three years prior. Following his arrest, the authorities issued a series of criminal charges against him, leading to a total of over 30-year imprisonment sentences.
Last Friday, Russian prison services reported the sudden death of Navalny in a penal colony in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, located beyond the Arctic Circle. They cited that Navalny had "felt unwell" and "lost consciousness." Despite calling for emergency medical aid and attempts at reviving him, the opposition member passed away, as per prison services' statement.
The authorities denied his mother and legal team entry to the morgue. They were informed that the cause of Navalny's death was being investigated.
Source: wyborcza.pl, PAP
