Yulia Navalnaya: “My husband should have been on the plane”

The widow of politician Alexei Navalny, Yulia, recorded a video message in which she commented on the prisoner exchange between Russia, the United States and Germany. According to her, this gave hope to many political prisoners remaining in Russian prisons.

Yulia Navalnaya noted that Alexei Navalny’s associates reported about a possible exchange six months ago. Navalny himself was supposed to take part in it.

“My husband, Alexei Navalny, was supposed to be on the plane flying first to Ankara and then to Cologne. We told you about this six months ago, right after his murder in the colony in Kharp. It was for him that the FSB killer Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence in Germany, was supposed to be exchanged,” Navalnaya said.

She stressed that the exchange caused a wide discussion in society, but she considers it an absolute joy that 16 people “were snatched from the clutches of the Putin regime.” Navalnaya said she was sad that Alexei Navalny died before this event.

“The thought that Navalny would be free was so terrible for Putin that he killed him. For me, these days were very difficult. I have not experienced such relief and happiness for a long time, but at the same time I was very bitter,” she said.

Navalnaya recalled that MP Alexey Gorinov, FBK employee Daniel Kholodny, Navalny’s lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Igor Sergunin and Alexey Liptser, journalists Maria Ponomarenko, Artem Kriger and Antonina Favorskaya, publicist Boris Kagarlitsky, co-chairman of the “Voice” movement Grigory Melkonyants and other political prisoners remain in prison.

She urged not to forget about those who remain in custody.

• Russian political prisoners were exchanged for spies and murderers on August 1. The exchange took place in Ankara. The prisoners were flown to Turkey on seven planes from the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Russia. Belarus also took part in the exchange. Eight prisoners and two children were transferred to Russia, thirteen prisoners to Germany, and three more to the United States.
• The list of those transferred by Russia and Belarus included Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin, Alsou Kurmasheva, Evan Gershkovich, Oleg Orlov, Sasha Skochilenko, Liliya Chanysheva, Ksenia Fadeeva, Andrei Pivovarov, Vadim Ostanin, Kevin Leake, Paul Whelan, Rico Krieger, Dieter Voronin, Patrick Schöbel and Hermann Moizhes.
• The list of those transferred by other countries includes Artem and Anna Dultsev, Vadim Krasikov, Vladislav Klyushin, Mikhail Mikushin, Vadim Konoshchenok, Roman Seleznev and Pavel Rubtsov. Slovenia also handed over two children to Russia, the Dultsevs.