The Russian embassy in Paris, here in April 2022.
International – After the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Germany, it’s France’s turn. Paris announced on Monday, February 19th, the summoning of Russian Ambassador Alexei Mechkov regarding the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The announcement was made by Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne during a trip to Argentina, stating that “Vladimir Putin’s regime has once again shown its true nature”. The ambassador was summoned at 6:30 pm on Monday.
Navalny’s death: access to his body still denied to his family by investigators, what we know.
A diplomatic source told AFP that the Russian ambassador had indeed 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.
19 years in prison in the Arctic.
According to Russian authorities, Alexei Navalny felt unwell and almost immediately lost consciousness. Rescuers reportedly tried to revive him for a long time, without success. His body has still not been returned to his family, and the mystery remains as to the cause of his death.
The opponent was serving a 19-year prison sentence for “extremism” and had been sent to one of the toughest and most isolated penitentiary colonies in Russia at the end of 2023. After surviving his poisoning in 2020 and multiple hunger strikes, his health had seriously deteriorated.
