Reports of Aleksei A. Navalny’s demise got here as his spouse, Yulia Navalnaya, was at a outstanding safety convention in Munich, assembly with European and American leaders in an effort to attract consideration to her husband’s case and Russia’s clampdown on dissent.
Ms. Navalnaya and Leonid Volkov, her husband’s longtime chief of employees, have been attending the Munich Security Conference, the place Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and leaders from round Europe have been gathering to debate the struggle in Ukraine and different threats — many emanating from Moscow and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
Ms. Navalnaya couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
The information of Mr. Navalny’s demise shocked many on the convention and will add new urgency to the dialogue.
Ms. Harris mentioned at the beginning of her deal with to the convention — which had already been anticipated to give attention to Russia — that the United States was nonetheless making an attempt to verify the experiences of Mr. Navalny’s demise, however that it held Russia’s authorities accountable. “If confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin’s brutality,” she mentioned. “Whatever story they tell, let us be clear Russia is responsible and we’ll have more to say on this later.”
Mr. Blinken, earlier than a gathering with Indian officers, instructed reporters: “If these reports are accurate, our hearts go out to his wife and his family. Beyond that, his death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built.”
President Biden had warned Mr. Putin to not hurt Mr. Navalny whereas in jail. “I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Mr. Biden instructed reporters after assembly with Mr. Putin in Geneva in 2021.
“What do you think happens when he’s saying it’s not about hurting Navalny, all the stuff he says to rationalize the treatment of Navalny, and then he dies in prison?” Mr. Biden continued. “It’s about trust. It’s about their ability to influence other nations in a positive way.”
Ms. Navalnaya has been a revered surrogate for her husband in settings like Munich.
“I saw Yulia Navalnaya and Leonid Volkov last night here in Munich,” mentioned Michael McFaul, a former American ambassador to Moscow. “They had come to this conference to meet with world leaders and remind them of Aleksei and the horrific conditions he was enduring in a special prison cell designed just to torture him.”
Edward Wong contributed reporting.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/16/world/aleksei-navalny
