An associate of Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition figure, asserted that he was "eliminated" because he was on the verge of being released in a prisoner exchange, a prospect President Vladimir Putin could not abide.
Navalny, aged 47, passed away at an Arctic penal facility on February 16. The Kremlin, characterizing Navalny and his supporters as extremists backed by the United States, has denied any state involvement in his demise.
Supporters claim Navalny's death certificate cites natural causes, although the Kremlin has yet to offer an official response, and Navalny's ally Maria Pevchikh, situated outside Russia, has not provided documentary evidence for her claim.
Addressing viewers on YouTube, Pevchikh alleged that discussions regarding the exchange of Navalny and two unnamed US citizens for Vadim Krasikov, a convicted hitman associated with the Russian FSB security service detained in Germany, were in their final stages at the time of Navalny's passing.
"Alexei 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, who chairs the board of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation and operates from outside Russia.
She further asserted, "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 was serving time for a murder in Berlin, for two American citizens and Alexei Navalny."
Navalny's wife, Yulia, echoed these sentiments on the X social media platform, attributing her husband's demise to Putin's actions and vowing to uncover the truth behind his death.
According to a Western official speaking to Reuters, while there has been no formal proposal for a swap involving Navalny, initial discussions between Russia, the United States, and Germany have commenced.
Although the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated to the Financial Times that he was unaware of any agreement for Navalny's exchange, two Russian sources informed Reuters that negotiations had indeed taken place, with a swap tentatively agreed upon.
Krasikov, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany for the murder of a Chechen-Georgian dissident in Berlin in 2019, has been the subject of interest for Putin, who expressed a desire to repatriate him during an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson earlier this month.
The German government refrained from commenting on the matter on Monday.
Pevchikh, designated as a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities and accused of involvement in extremist activities, claimed to have received confirmation that swap negotiations were in their final stages on the evening of February 15. According to her, Navalny was allegedly killed the following day because Putin opposed the notion of his release. However, she did not elucidate why Putin did not simply decline the exchange if he objected to it.
She also implicated businessman Roman Abramovich in suggesting the swap to Putin, although Abramovich has not responded to these allegations.
The identities of the two US nationals purportedly part of the exchange with Navalny were not disclosed by Pevchikh. Nonetheless, the United States is known to be seeking the return of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and Paul Whelan, a former US marine, both accused by Russia of espionage.
According to a Russian insider familiar with the discussions, the exchange was intended to occur in mid-February, with Navalny and his wife purportedly consenting to the arrangement. Abramovich's involvement in the negotiations was also noted.
"Initially, the plan envisaged an exchange only involving Gershkovich, and Abramovich had discussed it with Putin. The only person Putin was ready to swap him for was Krasikov. But the Germans were categorically against it because it was an American problem. When Navalny appeared within this plan, the Germans finally agreed," the source disclosed.
Another source close to the Kremlin disclosed that while an exchange involving Navalny and Gershkovich had been provisionally agreed upon, the specifics of the deal were yet to be finalized.
However, both Russian sources indicated that Gershkovich's prospects for a swap had been thwarted for the time being.
"They will be looking for options again, but we're now back to the time of Gershkovich's arrest. There's nothing on the table," remarked the first Russian source.
While Putin has refrained from commenting on Navalny's demise, he mentioned earlier this month ongoing talks between Russian and US intelligence agencies regarding Gershkovich, without mentioning Navalny, whose name he typically avoids in public statements.
Navalny's remains were transferred to his mother in the Arctic city of Salekhard on Saturday (February 24). Plans for his burial, anticipated to occur in Moscow, have yet to be disclosed.
Navalny's spokesperson mentioned on Monday that the team was seeking a venue for a public farewell ceremony expected to take place by the end of the week.
