NEW DELHI: Mincing no words,
US president Joe Biden
on Friday said Russian president
Vladimir Putin
is responsible for the death of jailed opposition leader
Alexei Navalny
.
“Make no mistake,
Putin
is behind Navalny’s death,” Biden said, adding he was “not surprised” but “outraged” after the reported death of the Russian opposition leader.
“He bravely stood up to the corruption, the violence and all the bad things the Putin government was doing,” Biden added.
Further sign of Putin’s brutality: Harris
Earlier in the day, US vice president Kamala Harris blamed Russia for Navalny’s death.
“Before I begin today, we’ve all just received reports that Aleksey Navalny has died in Russia. This is, of course, terrible news, which we are working to confirm. My prayers are with his family, including his wife, Yulia, who is with us today,” she said.
“And if confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin’s brutality. Whatever story they tell, let us be clear: Russia is responsible,” she added while speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Navalny died after walk: Russian authorities
Navalny died at the Arctic prison colony where he was serving a 19-year-term. The 47-year-old was head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and an outspoken critic of Putin.
Russia’s federal penitentiary service said Navalny, already the target of a poisoning attack before he went to jail, fell ill after going for a walk.
“Navalny felt bad after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness. Medical staff arrived immediately and an ambulance team was called,” the prison service said in a statement.
“Resuscitation measures were carried out that did not yield positive results. Paramedics confirmed the death of the convict. The causes of death are being established,” it added.
