Putin finally names Navalny and claims he agreed prisoner swap - BBC News

Russia's leader always refused to the Kremlin critic by name, but now he is dead, that has changed.

3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EMIL NICOLAI HELMS/Ritzau Scanpix/AFPImage caption, Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony last month and supporters say he was killed by Russian authoritiesBy Paul KirbyBBC NewsVladimir Putin has always refused to refer to his main opponent in Russia by name, but now that Alexei Navalny is dead, he has changed tack.

After claiming his fifth term as president, he told reporters: "As for Navalny, yes he passed away, this is always a sad event."

He also suggested he had agreed Navalny could be part of a prisoner swap.

Navalny's colleagues say he was murdered in an Arctic jail by Russian authorities, who cite natural causes.

US President Joe Biden said at the time it was "yet more proof of Putin's brutality".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68595334

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