The Shadow of a Deal: Navalny Nearly Freed Before Sudden Death

The untimely demise of Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny has shocked supporters and international observers alike. In a recent revelation, Maria Pevchikh, a close ally of Navalny, exposed a narrative that was until now under the wraps: Navalny was on the verge of being released from his Russian penal colony in exchange for a convicted Russian hitman imprisoned in Germany.

This news has generated turbulent discussions as Pevchikh detailed the prisoner exchange in a video uploaded to YouTube. She claimed the deal was set to involve the trade of Navalny and two American citizens for Vadim Krasikov, an assassin associated with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), who is currently serving a life sentence in Germany for the murder of a Chechen-Georgian dissident in Berlin in 2019.

Alexey Navalny, a fervent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, tragically passed away at the age of 47 under mysterious circumstances while serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism. He reportedly collapsed following a walk on the prison grounds of an Arctic penal colony, which has raised eyebrows as well as sparked widespread indignation.

Pevchikh articulated her distress and her belief in the validity of the agreed swap, stating, “Alexey Navalny could be sitting in this seat right now, right today. That’s not a figure of speech, it could and should have happened.” This statement underscores the abruptness of Navlany's death, which occurred a mere day after the claimed finalization date of the prisoner exchange agreement.

The Russian hitman Krasikov is a central figure in the alleged exchange and has an infamous background, having been convicted by German authorities in an assassination linked to Russian intelligence operations. The possibility of his trade, highlighted by a semi-confirmation by Putin in an interview with Tucker Carlson, frames the discussions around complex international relations where human lives are at stake.

Pevchikh's claim comes in the absence of official confirmation from the United States or Germany regarding the swap, although a German spokesperson acknowledged the existence of reports on the matter. Notably, the United States has been seeking the return of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan, who are suspected to be the two U.S. nationals mentioned by Pevchikh.

The death of Navalny has incited a punitive response from world leaders, including sanctions aimed towards Russia with the subtext of pointing fingers at Putin for being the man behind the curtain. However, the Kremlin has staunchly refuted any involvement in Navalny's death, dismissing claims as baseless and reprimanding those who speculate without evidence.

The news of the near-release and subsequent passing of Navalny open a Pandora's box of political intrigue, geopolitics, and human rights. It exposes the delicate interplay of international diplomacy where lives hang in a perilous balance, and the geopolitical chessboard becomes a backdrop for both covert operations and public outcry.