For famous investigative journalist and Navalny confidante Christo Grozev, it is clear: the Russian president certainly caused the death of the opposition leader. Navalny’s friend now wants to investigate this – and notes a growing paranoia among the Russian president.
“Under no circumstances would Navalny have died without the express consent of Vladimir Putin,” Grozev said in a written interview with the “Falter” (Wednesday edition).
Navalny was too valuable for future negotiations, such as prisoner exchanges, with the West; The global and domestic political implications are too great ‘to leave anything to chance’. There is evidence that “his death must have been planned and precisely timed.” However, Grozev refers to a possible publication of this information by Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya.
Putin “increasingly paranoid” since the attempted coup
Despite his worth and the consequences now visible, Navalny would have posed a danger to the Russian president even in prison, Grozev said. It was feared that Navalny could become an integration figure for opponents of Russia’s war of aggression – and therefore could also influence Russia’s presidential elections in March. Moreover, Putin became “increasingly paranoid” after last year’s attempted coup by the head of the Wagner mercenary force Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Moving to the permafrost area made the attack easier
Grozev, who played a leading role in ensuring that the perpetrators – Russian agents – were unmasked after Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in 2020, stated that he would also investigate the background to the death. “We are trying to resolve the matter with all the methods at our disposal and which we also used in 2020. However, this time the Russian authorities will be better prepared and keep the evidence hidden.” Navalny’s transfer to “Penal Colony No. 3” would have made the possibility of an attack on him easier. It is easier to hide and throw away evidence “ in the remote permafrost region” than in a detention center near Moscow.
Hundreds are helping with research
“Dozens of Russian colleagues are conducting research, hundreds of volunteers are now searching the data,” the journalist explains. “I trust that we will find the perpetrators even faster than in 2020. There are now more informants, including at the FSB and criminal authorities. The uneasiness and latent resistance to the war are also increasing among these people.”
After returning to Moscow from Berlin, where he was treated after the 2020 poison attack, Navalny realized he could be killed. “Navalny certainly hoped he would survive. But he was aware that things could turn out differently,” Grozev said.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
