Maria Pevchikh Alleges Alexey Navalny Was Set to be Released in Exchange for Imprisoned Russian FSB Assassin in Germany.
According to his associate Maria Pevchikh, Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny was on the brink of release in a potential prisoner exchange before his unexpected demise. Pevchikh asserted in a YouTube video released on Monday that the proposed swap would have seen Navalny and two undisclosed American citizens traded for Vadim Krasikov, an FSB operative detained in Germany.
Navalny, a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, passed away at the age of 47 while in an Arctic penal colony. He was serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges and reportedly collapsed after a walk on the prison grounds.
“Alexey Navalny could be sitting in this seat right now, right today. That’s not a figure of speech, it could and should have happened,” stated 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 Alexey Navalny.”
A German spokesperson stated in a press conference on Monday that the government was aware of the reports of an alleged swap but could not comment on them.
The Russian assassin Krasikov, who was reportedly part of the proposed exchange, was sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany after being found guilty of the 2019 murder of an exiled Chechen-Georgian dissident in Berlin’s Tiergarten Park—an act attributed by German authorities to Russian intelligence services.
In an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson earlier in February, Putin indicated his interest in repatriating Krasikov.
While Pevchikh did not disclose the identities of the American nationals involved, Washington had previously stated its efforts to secure the return of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a former US Marine.
Pevchikh asserted that the prospective agreement was nearing completion on the evening of February 15. She suggested Navalny’s demise the following day occurred because Putin couldn’t bear the idea of him regaining freedom.
World leaders, including those in the US, have accused Putin of responsibility for Navalny’s passing and have implemented sanctions in retaliation.
Nevertheless, the Kremlin has refuted allegations of Moscow’s involvement in his sudden demise and criticized accusers for lacking evidence to support their claims.
