Alexei Navalny: The Color Revolution That Wasn’t?
On February 16, 47-year-old Russian lawyer and political activist Alexei Navalny collapsed and died in a prison colony north of the Arctic circle, where he was serving a 19-year sentence under Russian laws for “extremist activities.” On March 1, Navalny’s funeral took place in Moscow, with his casket taken to the Borisov Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Yulia, and two children.
According to Russian prison authorities, Navalny suddenly “felt ill” after a walk and collapsed, with efforts to resuscitate him failing. Speculation arose online that Navalny’s death bore the marks of a “KGB heart punch,” while government-backed news outlet Russia Today (RT) claims it was told Navalny died as the result of a blood clot, matching a statement by Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.
American politicians were quick to accuse Russia of murdering Navalny. President Joe Biden alleged that while “we don’t know exactly what happened … there is no doubt that the death of Navalny was a consequence of something that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his thugs did.” Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that “Russia is responsible” for the activist’s death. This is probably true, but the outrage being ginned up is aimed at exploiting his death for political purposes in a larger geopolitical chess game.
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