Harris on Navalny’s death: Whatever story they tell, Russia is responsible

Vice President Harris said in a speech to the Western Security Council in Munich that the reported death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison was a “new wave of atrocities committed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.” “This is a sign that

“We have all just received reports that Mr. Alexei Navalny has died in Russia. This is of course terrible news and we are working to confirm it,” Harris told Munich Security. This was stated at the beginning of the conference’s keynote speech.

“My prayers are with his family, including his wife Yulia, who is with us today,” Harris continued. “If confirmed, this would be a further sign of President Putin’s brutality. Whatever story they tell, let’s be clear: Russia is responsible. I will discuss this in more detail later.”

Harris has become the highest-ranking official in the Biden administration to consider Navalny’s death since it was announced early Friday.

His comments came at the beginning of his speech, amid skepticism from leading Republican presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump, about the Biden administration’s efforts to support Ukraine in its war with Russia and its commitment to NATO. He explained his efforts.

Navalny, who was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin and rose to prominence as a leader of Russia’s opposition, died in prison on Friday at the age of 47.

Russia’s Federal Prison Service said Navalny felt unwell after the walk and lost consciousness. An ambulance arrived and crews tried to rehabilitate him but were unsuccessful.

Navalny is serving a 19-year sentence for extremism and was transferred from another prison to the country’s highest-security facility near the Arctic Circle in December. The “special regime” penal colony in the town of Harup, about 1,200 miles northeast of Moscow, is in a remote area known for its harsh winters.

Navalny has been imprisoned since January 2021, when he returned to Russia after recovering from poisoning, blaming President Putin, who denies trying to kill him with a nerve agent poisoning. There is.