After the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Germany, France has also joined the list. On Monday, February 19th, the announcement was made that the Russian ambassador Alexei Mechkov would be summoned by Paris regarding the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. This announcement was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, during a trip to Argentina. He expressed his belief that “Vladimir Putin’s regime has once again shown its true nature.” The Russian ambassador was due to be summoned at 6:30 PM on Monday, and a diplomatic source confirmed that the Russian ambassador had been received at the appointed time.
The death of the 47-year-old anti-corruption activist in his penitentiary colony in the Arctic last Friday has shocked the international community. While the Kremlin denies any involvement, it is difficult not to see Vladimir Putin’s hand in the death of his main opponent.
According to Russian authorities, Alexei Navalny fell ill and almost immediately lost consciousness. Rescuers reportedly tried to resuscitate him for several minutes, without success. His body has still not been returned to his family, and the cause of his death remains a mystery.
The opponent was serving a 19-year prison sentence for “extremism” and was sent to one of the toughest and most isolated penal colonies in Russia by the end of 2023. After surviving poisoning in 2020 and multiple hunger strikes, his health had deteriorated significantly.
