Moscow:
Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap when he died, Navalny’s ally Maria Pevchikh said on Monday, reiterating Russian President Vladimir Putin’s accusations that he killed him .
Pevchich said on YouTube about negotiations to exchange Navalny and two unnamed U.S. citizens for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hitman in a German prison. It was in its final stages at the time of his death.
Navalny, 47, died on February 16 in an Arctic exile colony. The Kremlin denies Russia had any involvement in his death. Navalny’s death certificate indicated he died of natural causes, according to his supporters.
Pevchich did not name the two U.S. citizens he was vying with Navalny for. But the U.S. said it was working to repatriate Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
“Alexey Navalny could be sitting in this seat right now, today. This is not a metaphor, it can and should happen,” Pevchikh said.
“Navalny should be out in the next few days because we have already made a decision on his exchange. In early February, Putin was offered to exchange two American citizens for the murderer, FSB officer Vadim Krasi Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a sentence in Berlin for murder. And Alexei Navalny.”
Pevchich said she had confirmed that swap negotiations had entered the final stage on the evening of February 15.
Navalny was killed a day later because Putin could not tolerate his freedom, she claimed.
Pevchich said Navalny’s allies had been working on a plan to get him out of Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine as part of a prisoner swap involving “Russian spies for political prisoners.”
She said desperate efforts were made to find intermediaries, even approaching the late Henry Kissinger, but she said Western governments failed to show the necessary political will.
“American and German officials nodded in understanding. They talked about the importance of helping Navalny and political prisoners, they shook hands, they made promises, but nothing was done.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
