THE EUROPEAN UNION HOLDS RUSSIA RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF THE OPPONENT NAVALNY​

By Julio García / Aquí Europa

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, today held Russia responsible for the death of the Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, who died this Friday, February 16, 2024, in the Arctic prison where he had been held since last December.

In a post on the social network X, Michel stated that “the European Union holds the Russian regime solely responsible for this tragic death”.

The President of the European Council recalled that Navalny fought for the values of freedom and democracy and “made the ultimate sacrifice for his ideals. “Fighters die. But the fight for freedom never ends,” Michel said.

The official communiqué of the Russian penitentiary services assures that Navalny, 47 years old, “underwent the necessary resuscitation procedures, which did not produce any results. Emergency doctors confirmed the death of the convict. The causes of death are being established”.

For her part, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, expressed, also on the X network, her horror at the death of the Russian opposition leader and assured that “Russia has taken away his freedom and his life, but not his dignity”.

“The world has lost a fighter whose courage will resonate for generations. I am appalled by the death of Sakharov Prize winner Alexei Navalny. Russia has taken his freedom and his life, but not his dignity. His struggle for democracy lives on. Our thoughts are with his wife and children,” Metsola wrote in a message on X.

The president of the European Union, Ursula Von der Leyen, for her part, has also declared to be “deeply shocked and saddened” by the event and called to continue fighting to “safeguard the freedom and security of those who dare to stand up to autocracy.” Navalny’s death, she has stated, is a “grim reminder of what Putin and his regime are all about.”

Also on the social network X, Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo has spoken out, saying that Navalny was a defender of democracy and human rights. “His tragic death again underlines why we will continue to support Ukraine. Russia will not prevail over Ukraine.” De Croo added: “Our thoughts are with Navalny’s family and friends and with all the brave Russian prisoners.”

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This text was originally published in Here Europe, with whose permission we reproduce it.