ISABEL INFANTES / AFP
The widow of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned in 2006, reacted to the death of his rival Alexei Navalny on February 16. After the speech of his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, he said that he understood her sadness.
Alexei Navalny, an opponent of Vladimir Putin, was serving a 19-year prison sentence in the Arctic penal colony of Russia. On Friday, February 16, his death shocked the whole world. “It was a very sad day” for Russia, Marina Litvinenko, the widow of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko (poisoned in 2006), told AFP in an interview in London. According to him, the death of Alexei Navalny should push the Western countries to move “from words to action” in the face of Putin’s regime.
Her husband, Alexander Litvinenko, was an agent of the KGB and then the FSB. He was exiled to the United Kingdom after sultry and often unverifiable revelations. On November 23, 2006, he was found dead at the age of 43, about twenty days after being poisoned by the highly toxic radioactive substance polonium 210. “I understand very well what Yulia (Navalny) can feel after what happened to her husband,” she said with anger and emotion. “It was a very sad day not only for the family of Alexei Navalny – his wife, son and daughter – but also for many Russians who dream of a better future for their country.”
Marina Litvinenko, who fought for the clarification of the circumstances of her husband’s death for a long time, urged the opponent’s widow to make sure that the international community “never forgets” her husband’s death. “It is not enough to talk about it yesterday, today and maybe for a few more days. We have to talk about it as long as it takes until Yulia gets justice,” he insisted.
“Support Ukraine”.
A British public inquiry concluded in 2016 that Vladimir Putin “probably approved” the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko, which it said was carried out by businessman Dmitry Kovtun and ex-secret agent Andrei Lugovoi, with whom the ex-spy had tea. November 1, 2006: Similarly, the European Court of Human Rights held Russia “responsible” for this killing in 2021, which the Kremlin has always denied.
For the ex-spy’s wife, Alexei Navalny’s death should prompt the international community, and especially Western countries, to “go from words to action” against the Russian president, the sole candidate for his re-election in March. “It’s important (for leaders) to say how remorseful and sympathetic they are, but that’s not enough,” he defended. For him, these “acts” first of all imply the support of Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia for almost two years after the invasion launched by Moscow. “The only way to help the Russian opposition to overthrow Putin’s regime is to support Ukraine,” he said.
Marina Litvinenko also advocates that Western countries stop buying Russian oil and gas, funding Moscow’s military efforts. Despite the despair over Alexei Navalny’s death, the widow of the man she affectionately nicknamed “Sasha” wants to remain optimistic about her country’s future, touched by the many demonstrations of support outside Russian embassies across the four corners. of the world. “We cannot live without hope for a better future. I believe that one day Russia will be able to change,” he added.
Source: Le Figaro
