Navalny’s Death Spurs Global Condemnation of Putin

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in prison, sparking global condemnation and renewed accusations against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Navalny’s death, confirmed by Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, has reignited claims of Putin’s involvement in the deaths of his critics over the years.

President Joe Biden squarely blamed Putin for Navalny’s death, echoing earlier statements by Vice President Kamala Harris, who described it as another example of Putin’s brutality. This follows a pattern seen in the deaths of other prominent critics of the Russian regime.

In 2004, Forbes journalist Paul Klebnikov was killed in Moscow, likely in retaliation for his investigations into corruption in post-Soviet Russia. A public inquiry in the UK concluded that Putin likely approved the killing of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy poisoned with polonium in London in 2006.

In 2009, journalist Anastasia Baburova and human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov were shot dead near the Kremlin. Navalny himself narrowly escaped death in 2020 when he was poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Russian government, an incident German Chancellor Angela Merkel called an attempt to silence him.

Navalny’s death comes after he was sentenced to 19 years in prison for extremism, adding to a nine-year sentence on fraud and contempt of court charges. He had been moved to the “Polar Wolf” prison colony in the Arctic region of Yamal-Nenets, known for its harsh conditions and population of serious criminals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky directly accused Putin of killing Navalny, stating that Putin doesn’t care who dies as long as he maintains his grip on power.

In a surprising twist, Putin suggested that a plane crash involving Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a rebellion against the Russian government, could have been caused by a hand grenade. He also claimed that cocaine had been found at Wagner’s office, following allegations that Russia’s domestic intelligence agency targeted Prigozhin.

Navalny’s poisoning led to sanctions by the US against four operatives of the Russian Federal Security Service, including Konstantin Kudryatsev, featured in the documentary “Navalny.” In the film, Navalny appears to trick Kudryatsev into admitting to the poisoning.

Navalny’s death has sparked outrage and renewed calls for accountability for Putin’s regime. The circumstances surrounding his death, along with the history of other critics meeting similar fates, have raised serious questions about the state of democracy and human rights in Russia under Putin’s rule.