MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Alexei Navalny, a leading critic of Vladimir Putin, was allegedly poisoned with the nerve agent novichok, according to his widow. This revelation comes as Putin promotes a prison official accused of torturing Navalny during his time in jail. The promotion of Valery Boyarinev, first deputy head of the Federal Penitentiary Service, to the military rank of Colonel General of the Internal Service is raising suspicions and fueling accusations of government complicity in Navalny’s death in an Arctic Circle penal colony.
In June 2023, it was revealed that Boyarinev had ordered the penal colony to limit Navalny’s food purchases while in custody. Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, denounced Boyarinev’s promotion as a “personal reward for torture and murder from Putin.”
Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, has alleged that her husband was poisoned, a claim that has raised further suspicions given the delay in releasing his body for examination. The delay, supposedly for a “chemical examination,” has led to accusations of a cover-up by Ivan Zhdanov, who called the Russian authorities “lackeys and liars.”
Navalny’s death has sparked a wave of tributes and protests, with nearly 400 people detained by police in Russia as they gathered to pay tribute to the opposition leader. The European Union has called for an independent investigation into Navalny’s death and is considering imposing sanctions on Russia. Additionally, foreign ministers from the UK and EU have vowed to pursue sanctions against those believed to be responsible for Navalny’s death.