Crossing Vladimir Putin is becoming a major cause of death in Russia
In Putin’s Russia whether you’re an Army General, head of the Wagner Group, or an activist like Alexei Navalny, crossing the dictator means prison or more likely death.
Putin continues his murderous purge.
Alexei Navalny died February 16 in a remote Russian prison north of the Arctic Circle. According to the Russian government he “felt unwell” after a walk, lost consciousness and could not be resuscitated.
The 47-year old Navalny had been seen only the day before appearing healthy in a video link from the prison.
Navalny’s ultimate fate had long been contemplated by people inside and outside of Russia.
World leaders including President Biden immediately blamed Putin.
“Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death,” said Biden.
Other international leaders joined in.
“It is obvious that he was killed by Putin,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This death shows “what kind of regime this is,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
EU Commission President Usula von der Leyen said, “The EU holds the Russia regime…responsible for this tragic death…Putin fears nothing more than dissent of his own people.”
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said, Navalny was “brutally murdered by the Kremlin…(t)hat’s a fact, and that is something one should know about the true nature of Russia’s current regime.”
International relations experts find it clear that responsibility lies with Putin.
“In the decade-plus since he began exposing Putin’s corruption, Navalny had been targeted multiple times for retaliation - harassment, fines, poisoning, chemical substance attacks, and ultimately abuse in prison,” said Rich Outzen, Ph.D. and Non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council. “His death under state control leaves room for no conclusion other than that Putin directly ordered his death. Coming the same week as the assassination in Spain of a Russian military pilot who defected, it seems clear that Putin is engaging in a Stalinesque liquidation campaign, though not yet to scale.”
Ironically, in an HBO documentary, the first question he was asked is what message he would have in the event of his death --- which he didn’t want to provide.
The Russian government convicted him of “embezzlement and fraud” in separate cases in 2012. His sentences were suspended.
He attempted a run for president but was banned from running because of the conviction.
He once ran for Mayor of Moscow but won only 27 percent of the vote in 2013.
Navalny was poisoned in 2020 and flew to Germany to recover. He remained there until 2021 when he returned to Russian. He was immediately arrested on charges of violating the terms of his suspended sentences.
In 2022, Navalny was convicted on “fresh charges of fraud charges” and sentenced to nine additional years in prison.
In 2023 he was convicted of charges of “extremism” and sentenced to 19 years in prison. Late in the year he was sent to the prison north of the Arctic Circle.
He was a long-time thorn in the side of the Putin. In addition to attempt to gain political office, he tried to expose corruption by publishing lengthy pieces on fraud. Navalny used YouTube to continue this effort.
The Russians continue to taunt his family and the international community by keeping his body.
It is not clear where the remains are.
The Russians claim that they need to hold the body for “two weeks” for an unspecified “chemical analysis.” This possibly means he was poisoned, and they are waiting until traces of it dissipate.
His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, will now continue his cause although she remains outside the country.
Putin has been the de facto leader of Russia since 1999. He was elected that year after briefly serving as acting president. At the time of his election there was a two-term, in a row, limit. Dmitry Medvedev was elected as essentially a puppet leader with Putin as Prime Minister. He returned to the presidency and later changed the constitution to allow him to serve as president potentially until 2036.
Russia will hold elections in 2024. It is convenient for Putin that he fully controls media and will not have to answer questions about Navalny.
In the days since the death of Navalny, President Biden has promised a “major sanctions package” against Russia, although no specific measures were announced.
While Putin has become increasingly isolated in some ways, countries such as China and North Korea continue to buy his oil and keep him rich and largely insulated from harm in his own country.
If the international community allows him to gain a victory in Ukraine and money continues to flow to him through energy exports, he and his regime will see Navalny’s death as merely a day’s work.
It is time to ratchet-up sanctions and further isolate the dictator.
James Hutton is a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army. Follow him on X @jehutton.
Thanks for sharing, James.
Ratchet up sanctions. Yes.
Though it would seem the intended Soviet target is not affected by sanctions. Sanctions only seem to hurt the Russian citizens.
It would also help if useful idiots and former Fawx Nooz hacks like Fucker Carlson would actually push a shopping cart 🛒 in America before going overseas for performative theatrics in support of Soviet propaganda.
☮️🇺🇸☯️
Lets not forget those unjustly charged and imprisoned in the US by Biden’s regime, for extremism, “disinformation,” and for exercise of the right to assemble peacefully.