Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was reportedly on the verge of being released from prison in a swap deal involving Vadim Krasikov, a convicted FSB hitman known as the 'Berlin Bicycle Killer', when he was killed. Navalny's death has sparked allegations against Vladimir Putin, with claims suggesting Putin was directly responsible for halting the exchange, which was in its 'final stage', and ordering Navalny's death. The deal, which had been in the works for months, also included the exchange of two American citizens. Navalny's allies, including Maria Pevchikh of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, have publicly accused Putin of sabotaging the swap to prevent Navalny's release, following a proposal allegedly passed on by Roman Abramovich. The international community has closely followed the developments, with Navalny's team and supporters expressing outrage and grief over his sudden death, which prevented the swap for Krasikov, jailed in Germany for killing Zelimkhan Khangoshvili.
A swap for Navalny was in the final stages before the opposition leader’s death, an associate says https://t.co/PSkBUDblwe
Associates of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Monday that talks were underway shortly before his death to exchange him for a Russian imprisoned in Germany. https://t.co/4Mkps4PEMR
Putin had Navalny killed to thwart prisoner swap, allies claim https://t.co/baHayMpfzo
⚡️ Navalny killed to prevent swap with convicted Russian hitman, opposition leader's associate claims. https://t.co/DDrgnYh9y1
#BREAKING Team of late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny says deal to exchange him for FSB prisoner was in 'final stage' before his death https://t.co/3bQ7iOve2W
Alexei Navalny was killed after his team nearly secured a prisoner exchange and his release from a Russian prison, an ally of the Russian opposition figure says. https://t.co/xAB5XCMBmG
In early February, #Pevchikh said, #Putin was given an offer to exchange Alexey Navalny and “two American citizens” for ex-FSB officer Vadim Krasikov, who killed the former Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in #Germany in 2019. https://t.co/GsJUjpPxj8
⚡️"#Putin killed #Navalny because Navalny’s team had secured a decision on his exchange," Maria #Pevchikh, the chairwoman of Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said in a video statement. https://t.co/r1hYfJFhRP
Team Navalny says the politician was about to be exchanged for an FSB assassin Krasikov, but - it claims - Putin decided he could get Krasikov anyway, so he killed Navalny. https://t.co/XDadGaFcZl
Navalny ally Maria Pevchikh states in this video that just prior to Navalny's death a prisoner swap had been agreed for Navalny and two Americans for Vadim Krasikov, aka the Berlin Bicycle Killer. https://t.co/zzuPPMKmtZ
Navalny's team say he was about to be freed from prison on the eve of his death and accuse Vladimir Putin of having him killed to torpedo the exchange. Roman Abramovich allegedly passed on the proposal to swap Navalny and two US citizens for jailed hitman Vadim Krasikov. https://t.co/zdN0MLpYb9
Navalny was to be exchanged shortly before his murder The information was confirmed by his associate Maria Pevchikh. Maria Pevchikh said that the "humanitarian exchange" of political prisoners from Russia (who are not exchanged by foreign countries in the standard situation)… https://t.co/6Eqj6bkLTH https://t.co/xUu8jbiEoD
An interesting account of the run-up to Navalny's murder, where @pevchikh recounts the plan to exchange him for Krasikov (in prison in Germany for murder), in the works for months. https://t.co/37zggqz0HO
Navalny was killed the day after Maria Pevchikh received a confirmation that Russia was ready to exchange Navalny plus two Americans for Vadim Krasikov - Navalny team says https://t.co/AqJwqrB1wU https://t.co/eedtSTGsl6
Navalny ally Maria Pevchikh says he was killed just as a deal was being reached to swap him for hitman Vadim Krasikov, jailed for life in Germany for killing Georgia-born Chechen rebel commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili https://t.co/KLgfIJ8ere
There had been talks under way around a swap deal involving Navalny but to say that he was on the cusp of being freed is probably an exaggeration. https://t.co/xgULxaoyGb
#BREAKING #Navalny's allies say was due to be swapped for a convicted hitman for Russia's security service in Germany
There is "no doubt" that Vladimir Putin was behind Alexei Navalny's death, says Russian American journalist Masha Gessen. "They kept piling on sentence after sentence," Gessen says. "And finally, they killed him." https://t.co/vHp1SWbLOZ