Russian opposition leader Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner swap before his death, ally says

Navalny’s ally Maria Pevchikh said she had confirmation that negotiations for the swap were in their final stages on the evening of February 15

The talks centred on exchanging Navalny and two unnamed US nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany

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A portrait of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny sits among floral tributes and a candle outside the Russian embassy in Berlin. Navalny’s ally Maria Pevchikh said she had confirmation that negotiations for the swap were in their final stages on the evening of February 15. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:25pm, 26 Feb 2024

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap at the time of his death, a close ally said on Monday, repeating an allegation by his family and supporters that President Vladimir Putin had him killed.

Speaking on YouTube, Maria Pevchikh said talks about exchanging Navalny and two unnamed US nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany, were in their final stages at the time of his death.

Navalny, 47, died at an Arctic penal colony on February 16. The Kremlin has denied Russian state involvement in his death. Navalny’s death certificate stated that he died of natural causes, according to his supporters.

“Alexei Navalny could be sitting in this seat right now, right today. That’s not a figure of speech, it could and should have happened,” said Pevchikh.

“Navalny should have been out in the next few days because we got a decision about his exchange. In early February, Putin was offered to exchange the killer, FSB officer Vadim Krasikov, who’s serving time for a murder in Berlin, for two American citizens and Alexei Navalny.”

Krasikov was jailed for life in Germany after being convicted of killing an exiled Chechen-Georgian dissident in Berlin’s Tiergarten park in 2019. Putin signalled in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson this month that he wanted to get Krasikov back.

Pevchikh said she had confirmation that negotiations for the swap were in their final stages on the evening of February 15.

Navalny, she alleged, had been killed a day later because Putin could not tolerate the thought of him being free.

Russian opposition leader Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner swap before his death, ally says

Navalny’s ally Maria Pevchikh said she had confirmation that negotiations for the swap were in their final stages on the evening of February 15 The talks centred on exchanging Navalny and two unnamed US nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany

Navalny’s ally Maria Pevchikh said she had confirmation that negotiations for the swap were in their final stages on the evening of February 15

The talks centred on exchanging Navalny and two unnamed US nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany