AMED - Evaluating the death of Putin's opponent politician Aleksey Navalny in prison in Russia, academician İsmet Konak said: "Such opponents do not die on their own. The probability of Navalny being killed is very high.”

 

Aleksey Navalny, one of the harshest opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was imprisoned upon his return to Russia from abroad in January 2021, due to his previous 3.5-year sentence. In another case filed against Navalny on charges of "extremism", he was sentenced to another 19 years in prison on August 4, 2023. In recent months, Navalny was transferred to the prison in the Yamalo-Nenets region near Siberia, known as the "Polar Wolf Colony”, which has the harshest conditions in the country. In the statement made yesterday from the prison, located approximately 60 km north of the Arctic Circle, it was stated that Navalny lost his life. The Federal Prison Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region also stated in a statement published on its website that Navalny "did not feel well" after the walk and "immediately lost consciousness."

 

'PUTIN KILLED NAVALNY'

 

Different explanations were made regarding the death of Navalny, who was 1900 kilometres away from Moscow, the capital of Russia and was transferred to the prison in the north pole shortly after President Vladimir Putin announced his candidacy for the presidency again. Navalny's former assistant Leonid Volkov said, "Putin killed Navalny" regarding this death, while many people stated that the cause of the death was prison conditions and evaluated the situation as "murder".

 

Academician and Writer Ismet Konak, who has been conducting research on Russia for many years regarding Navalny's death, made evaluations to Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

 

NAVALNY RETURNED DESPITE THE RISKS

 

"Opponents do not die on their own," said Konak, adding that the possibility of Navalny being killed is very high. Reminding that Navalny is Putin's opponent and the founder of the Foundation for Fighting Poverty in Russia, Konak said: “He has exposed Putin's dirty bags in this foundation for many years. It was undermining Putin's power every time. That's why he was often a target. They poisoned me in 2020. In 2021, despite all the risks, he returned to his country and was arrested. But after his arrest he was expected to be exterminated in the dungeon. It was clear from Wednesday that Thursday would come."

 

'PUTIN IS IVAN THE TERRIBLE'

 

Stating that Putin's Russia is a conspiracy of murders, Konak said: “Putin is now Ivan the Terrible. Just as IV. Ivan had a mental breakdown towards the end of his life and accused his son Ivan Ivanovich of disobedience and destroyed him, Putin does the same to his opponents. Absolute obedience and loyalty are expected. All autocracies are like this. Putin knowingly sows terror to intimidate the public and terrify international powers. His own people are also aware of this. For example, in the cities of Murmansk and Novorossiysk, a few people took to the streets with a banner saying ‘Your hands are bloody, Vladimir.’ So the people are aware of the situation, Putin knows it too he is saying, ‘Don't be my opponent, I am the king of the gods.’" 

 

'PUTIN'S ELECTION FEAR'

 

Konak emphasized that Boris Nadezhdin, who wants to be Putin's possible opponent in the election, collected 105 thousand signatures and that Navalny's supporters were behind this, said: "Nadezhdin's collection of these signatures surprised Putin. It required 100 thousand signatures to become a challenger and it collected 105 thousand signatures. The Supreme Electoral Council did not accept 10 thousand signatures from this number was not provided. The election board did not accept the objection and Nadezhdin could not participate in the election. Putin will enter the election almost alone. A complete illusion of democracy. Navalny was directing the inside from the outside. Putin killed Navalny and in a way, got rid of the 'stone in his shoe' as he went to the elections. Putin's election is just a game of democracy."

 

 MA / Müjdat Can