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Alexei Navalny is said to have died while on tour in a Siberian prison. The world believes many things, but not this.
The reactions after the death of the well-known Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny did not take long to arrive. And the tenor cannot be ignored: there is no reaction that takes Moscow’s declarations of innocence at face value. Laconic comment from Moscow on the reactions: The statements by Western politicians about Navalny’s death are unacceptable and “absolutely rabid,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is quoted by the Interfax news agency.
Even in Moscow, some brave people are daring to react to Navalny’s surprising death. Supporters laid flowers at a memorial to victims of political repression. The Russian opposition politician and rejected presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin was dismayed. “Alexei was one of the most talented and courageous people in Russia that I met,” said Nadezhdin. From the prison camp, Navalny had supported Nadezhdin in recent weeks in his bid for the Russian presidential election on March 17th.
Protests after Navalny’s death
Navalny’s wife addressed the audience at the Munich Security Conference shortly after the news of her husband’s death. She calls on the entire international community to stand together and defeat this evil, the terrible regime that rules Russia today.
Disgust and horror in the West
The FDFA expressed its dismay. The Russian was a defender of democracy and fundamental rights, wrote the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). The EDA expects an investigation into the cause of death to be launched and expressed its condolences to Navalny’s family.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reacted with horror to reports of Navalny’s death. “But we now know exactly what kind of regime this is,” said the SPD politician.
In connection with Navalny’s death, the UN human rights office in Moscow has called for the release of all those persecuted by the state. The United Nations human rights office was “horrified” by Navalny’s death, the spokeswoman said. Horror also comes from numerous foreign ministries from Riga to Washington.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken blames the Russian leadership for Navalny’s fate. His deaths demonstrate the “weakness and rot” of the system built by President Vladimir Putin, he said at the Munich Security Conference. France’s foreign minister also echoes the same sentiments. Stéphane Séjourné said Alexei Navalny’s death in a penal colony reminds us of the reality of Vladimir Putin’s regime.
EU Council President Charles Michel wrote on Platform X: “The EU holds the Russian regime solely responsible for this tragic death.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the death of the Russian Kremlin critic as “terrible news”. “As the fiercest defender of Russian democracy, Alexei Navalny has shown incredible courage throughout his life,” the head of government wrote on X. “My thoughts are with his wife and the Russian people, for whom this is a tremendous tragedy.”