The Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was close to being released in a prisoner exchange when he died, said Maria Pevchikh, an ally of Navalny, on Monday, reiterating her claim that President Vladimir Putin ordered his killing.
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Speaking on YouTube, Pevchikh stated that negotiations for the exchange of Navalny and two unidentified American citizens for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service assassin imprisoned in Germany, were in their final stages at the time of his death.
Navalny, 47, died in a penal colony in the Arctic on February 16. The Kremlin denied any Russian involvement in his death. Navalny’s death certificate stated that he died of natural causes, according to his supporters.
Pevchikh did not name the two American citizens who were supposed to be exchanged with Navalny. However, the United States said they are seeking the return of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine.
“Alexei Navalny could be sitting in this chair right now, today. This is not a figure of speech, it could and should have happened,” Pevchikh said.
“Navalny was supposed to be out in the next few days because we already had a decision on his exchange. In early February, Putin was given the proposal to exchange the assassin, FSB officer Vadim Krasikov, serving a sentence for a murder in Berlin, for two American citizens and Alexei Navalny.”
Pevchikh claimed to have confirmation that the negotiations for the exchange were in their final stages on the night of February 15.
She said Navalny was killed the next day because Putin could not tolerate the idea of him being free.
Pevchikh said Navalny’s allies had been working since the beginning of the Ukraine war on a plan to get him out of Russia as part of a prisoner exchange involving “Russian spies for political prisoners.”
She revealed that they made desperate efforts and tried to find intermediaries, even reaching out to the late Henry Kissinger, but said Western governments failed to demonstrate the necessary political will.
“Authorities, both American and German, nodded in understanding. They talked about how it was important to help Navalny and political prisoners, shook hands, made promises, and did nothing.”