Alexei Navalny has died in Russian prison

I’m sure he always knew. He was brave and stood for what he believed in. Running away was not his style.

1 Like

In case anyone missed the reshowing (originally shown in 2022) of the Navalny documentary on BBC, here is the link to BBCiPlayer:

1 Like

1 Like

Are our politicians much better by allowing Julian Assange to be confined in an American prison for the rest of his life for simply telling the truth?

1 Like

If Assange had bravely gone to America in order to try to effect regime change then I would agree. OTOH if Navalny were like Assange then he’d still be alive and in hiding somewhere, if he’d not been breaking the law in some other way.

These 2 men are very different.

3 Likes

No is the answer Geoffrey. And as Genocide Joe heads towards another veto of a Security Council resolution for a ceasefire, his crocodile tears for Navalny further exposes the US hypocrisy.

Whistle blowing is fine, once the US isn’t the one being embarrassed over, for example; “activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, including attacks on civilians” and “details of the US treatment of prisoners in Guantánamo Bay and links to clandestine activities in the Middle East.”.

While the means were different, I think the objective of their pursuit was the same AM, to shut them up.

So why did he die if not murdered?

I don’t know.
Hopefully an autopsy will clarify matters.
But the timing of his death, be it murder or otherwise, is certainly not to Russia’s advantage. And they had little to gain from his death, given that he had recently been sentenced to 19-years imprisonment and therefore could very easily have been kept quiet, out of the public eye. So if they murdered him, it is likely to prove very counter-productive and a stupid thing to do, and I was under the impression that the KGB were not stupid . . . perhaps they are . . . .

The KGB hasn’t existed for over 30 years now, and when it did, a lot of its street agents were hired thugs (Putin was one). Its modern equivalent is the FSB (same arseholes, different underpants)

1 Like

I thought I heard on the lunchtime news that his body has somehow been mislaid or disappeared as his mother has not been able to see it.

That’s unlikely…

1 Like

Probably be cremated in the next few hours so no proof exists and family told to shut their mouths or else!

3 Likes

I learned something about Navalny today.

(Redirecting...)

2 Likes

Interesting. Good to see the quote is via Yancey (hope he’s done his homework) who has a bit more credibility than some.

1 Like

I honestly don’t see Russia handing over anything to Navalny’s family other than his cremated ashes. Their autopsy will be a work of fiction.

What Putin wants is for this man and his cause to be absolutely forgotten. It is up to the world to ensure that never happens.

3 Likes

Post of the week, sir.
5 years in Belmarsh without trial.
Worthy of the worst dictatorship.

But it’s not as simple as that, is it? He ran from Sweden where he was wanted for questioning, was arrested in the UK like anyone would be in that situation, then skipped bail and went to the Ecuadorian embassy. When they finally had no more use for him he was arrested and jailed for jumping bail with a 50 week term. Since the US started extradition proceedings he has been kept in jail because he is a clear flight risk.

Whether you see him as a fighter for truth and justice or a bit of a tosser (both have some truth) he has not been arbitrarily detained.

1 Like

Correct, but he has been treated outrageously, especially as the USA does not send its citizens to the UK, even that woman who killed the young man on his motor bike. IMO there should be no question of extradition of anybody from the UK to the USA, it is not a level playing field.

And before anyone says that he is not a British citizen and should be treated differently, don’t forget that the USA also refused to extradite alleged Irish terrorists.

3 Likes

Agreed, it’s not a level playing field, and the episode with Anne Sacculas being quickly spirited out of the country was disgraceful. Never the less, Assange is not the ‘innocent journalist’ being persecuted that he claims, whether we agree with the process of law as it exists or not.