Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most famous opposition leader, died on February 16 after collapsing and losing consciousness at the penal colony north of the Arctic Circle where he was serving a long jail term, the Russian prison service said.
Navalny, 47, rose to prominence more than a decade ago by lampooning President Vladimir Putin and the Russian elite whom he accused of vast corruption, avarice and opulence.
The Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District said in a statement that Navalny “felt unwell” after a walk at the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp, about 1,900 km (1,200 miles) north east of Moscow. He lost consciousness almost immediately, it said.
“All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, which did not yield positive results. Doctors of the ambulance stated the death of the convict,” the prison service said, adding that causes of death were being established.
Navalny’s mother was quoted by Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta as saying that her son had been “alive, healthy and happy” when she last saw him on February 12. Novaya Gazeta reported that Lyudmila Navalnaya wrote in a Facebook post on Friday: “I don’t want to hear any condolences. We saw him in prison on the [Feb] 12, in a meeting. He was alive, healthy and happy.”
Putin has been told about Navalny’s death, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin, who is running for re-election in a month, was shown on a television clip visiting a factory in the Urals.
Meanwhile, the press secretary of Navalny said on the X social media platform on Friday that she was unable to confirm his death, which was reported by the country’s prison service earlier.
Kira Yarmysh said that Navalny’s lawyer was travelling to the site of the prison where he had been serving his sentence. The former head of Navalny’s political organisation Leonid Volkov alleged that if it were true that he is dead, then Russian President Vladimir Putin killed him.
Volkov wrote on X: “We have no basis to believe state propaganda. If it’s true, then it’s not ‘Navalny died’, but only that ‘Putin killed him’. But I don’t believe them for a second.”
Western governments and Russian opposition figures said the Kremlin was responsible for Navalny’s death. The White House said the death, if confirmed, would be “a terrible tragedy.” Speaking on NPR, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also added the Kremlin’s “long and sordid” history of harming its opponents “raises real and obvious questions about what happened here.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the reports underscore what he described as the “weakness and rot” of the system President Vladimir Putin built. “First and foremost, if these reports are accurate, our hearts go out to his wife and his family,” Blinken said in Munich.
“Beyond that, his death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built. Russia is responsible for this,” Blinken added.
“We’ll be talking to the many other countries concerned about Alexei Navalny, especially if these reports bear out to be true,” Blinken said.
Navalny’s exposes, posted on his YouTube channel, racked up millions of views and brought tens of thousands of Russians to the streets, despite Russia’s harsh anti-protests laws.
He was jailed in early 2021 after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was recuperating from a near-fatal poisoning attack with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent.
In a string of cases he was sentenced to 19 years in prison on charges widely condemned by independent rights groups and in the West as retribution for his opposition to the Kremlin.
His return to Russia despite facing jail put him on a collision course with Putin, after Navalny blamed the poisoning attack in Siberia on the Kremlin. “I’m not afraid and I call on you not to be afraid,” he said in an appeal to supporters as he landed in Moscow, moments before being detained on charges linked to an old fraud conviction.
His 2021 arrest spurred some of the largest demonstrations Russia had seen in decades, and thousands were detained at rallies nationwide calling for his release.
In prison, Navalny’s team said he had been harassed and repeatedly moved to a punitive solitary confinement cell.
He said guards had subjected him and other inmates to “torture by Putin”, making them listen to the President’s speeches. From behind bars he was a staunch opponent of Moscow’s full-scale military offensive against Ukraine.
The Kremlin moved to dismantle his organisation, locking up his allies and sending dozens of others into exile.
Late last year he was moved to a remote Arctic prison colony in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets region in northern Siberia. The last post on Navalny’s Telegram channel, which he managed through his lawyers and team in exile, was a tribute to his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, posted on Valentine’s Day.
French journalist says leaving India after expulsion threat
A French journalist said on Friday she was leaving India, where she had worked for more than two decades, after authorities threatened her expulsion for what they termed “malicious and critical” reporting.
Vanessa Dougnac, a contributor to several French-language publications including the weekly magazine Le Point, had worked in India for 23 years.
The Home Ministry sent her a notice last month saying that her work was “inimical” to national interests and said it had provisionally decided to cancel her permanent residency. “Leaving is not my choice,” Dougnac said in a statement announcing her departure.
“I am unable to work and have been unfairly accused of prejudicing the interests of the state. It has become clear that I cannot keep living in India.”
Dougnac had reported on a number of flashpoint topics, including the Maoist Naxalite insurgency in parts of rural India. The Home Ministry notice accused her of journalism that was “malicious and critical in manner” that created a “biased perception about India”.
She denied “all the allegations and imputations” made against her in the notice when it became public last month.
The notice was issued to her a week before the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron, who was guest of honour at India’s annual Republic Day military parade.
Ministry of External Affairs told reporters during Macron’s visit that Dougnac’s case had been raised by France before and during the visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been accused of stifling independent media, with India falling 21 places to 161 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index since he took office in 2014.
I-T department freezes bank accounts of Congress, Youth Congress; party approaches appellate tribunal
Barely an hour after the Congress party announced on February 16 that 11 of its bank accounts (9 of Congress and 2 of Youth Congress) had been frozen by the income tax (I-T) department, the income tax appellate tribunal (ITAT) allowed the party to operate its bank accounts for now.
The party’s prayer for an interim relief would be heard next Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Congress Treasurer Ajay Maken told the media that four banks accounts of Indian National Congress and the bank account of Indian Youth Congress had been frozen by the I-T department.
Maken said the action was allegedly due to a 45-day delay in filing I-T return for the year 2018-19. “It is not a freezing of Congress’ accounts but democracy has been frozen. When the announcement for elections are just a month away, they have frozen the accounts of the principal Opposition party,” he said at a press conference in New Delhi. “Will there be a single party rule in the country?” he asked.
Rajya Sabha member and senior Advocate Vivek Tankha approached the ITAT, which will hear the merits of the prayer for an interim relief next Wednesday. The tribunal said an amount of ₹115 crore has to be kept in lien (akin to a collateral) and the party can spend above this amount.
The income tax department had raised a demand of ₹210 crore from the party. Maken said they were supposed to file their I-T returns for 2018-19 by December 31, 2019, but the party was late by 40-45 days.
Calling the move by I-T department to freeze the party’s accounts an “assault on democracy,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), appealed to the judiciary to save the multi-party system and “protect India’s democracy”.
“Power drunk Modi Govt has frozen the accounts of the country’s largest Opposition party -- the Indian National Congress -- just before the Lok Sabha elections. This is a deep assault on India’s Democracy! The unconstitutional money collected by the BJP would be utilised by them for elections, but the money collected by us through crowdfunding shall be sealed!” Kharge said.
“That is why, I have said that there won’t be any elections in the future… We will take to the streets and fight strongly against this autocracy!” the Congress chief added.
Sharad Pawar says a ‘strange situation’ is arising, seeks urgent hearing in Supreme Court
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Friday appealed to the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing of his case, saying a “strange situation “ is arising by which he will be subject to the whip of his politically estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Pawar had earlier moved the Supreme Court against the decision of the Election Commission of India to recognise Ajit Pawar’s breakaway faction as the ‘real’ NCP. Ajit Pawar had joined the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government.
Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, for the older Pawar, said his client’s faction had still not been allotted a symbol.
“A strange situation is upon us. Sharad Pawar will be subject to the whip of Ajit Pawar when the Assembly starts next week,” Singhvi submitted. He said the circumstances were “worse” than what the Uddhav Thackeray faction had faced within the Shiv Sena when Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde had rebelled with his camp of MLAs.
The Chief Justice assured that he would look into the plea for early listing. Ajit Pawar has already filed a caveat through advocate Abhikalp Pratap Singh in the Supreme Court, urging it to be heard before any order is passed in the special leave petition filed by the older Pawar.
The Commission said that it had come to a conclusion in favour of Ajit Pawar after testing the aims and objectives of the party’s constitution, the test of the party’s constitution, and the test of majority, both legislative and organisational. “The faction led by petitioner Ajit Anantrao Pawar is the Nationalist Congress Party and is entitled to use its name and reserved symbol ‘Clock’ for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment), Order 1968,” the Commission had noted.
AAP seeks fair play ahead of Lok Sabha polls, tells Supreme Court its office in capital not an ‘encroachment’
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has told the Supreme Court that its lawful occupation of a premises in Rouse Avenue is being wrongly labelled as an “encroachment” of land allotted for the Delhi High Court.
The ruling party in Delhi and Punjab had come under the spotlight after the Supreme Court recorded in an order on February 13 that the party was illegally occupying the land earmarked for the High Court six years ago to construct court rooms. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud had given the Delhi government time till February 19 (Monday) to fix a specific deadline to hand over the property to the Delhi High Court.
The party has now sought the permission of the court to intervene in the case and clear the air on the controversy. “Far from being an instance of ‘encroachment’, the premises were officially allotted to the applicant [AAP] by the government of NCT of Delhi on December 31, 2015 for its State Unit office,” the intervention application said.
However, the party said it understands the need for judicial infrastructure for the welfare of Delhi’s citizens and has no cavil about relocating its State unit office to an appropriate space. However, the application said an immediate vacation would mean that the party would be left with none of the two office spaces it is entitled to.
“This will severely prejudice the party as well as fairness of the electoral process, given the impending General Elections and the fact that the other five national parties are operating out of their allotted offices in New Delhi,” the AAP submitted.
The party said that, in fact, its earlier requests for alternative allotments for its State Unit office were denied in June 2017. It said the Delhi High Court had itself intervened judicially in August 2017, setting aside a notice of cancellation of the allotment of the space to the party.
“Such allotment of office space for official party work is an essential element of public funding of elections in India and is designed to level the electoral playing field,” the application said.
The AAP said it had risen to the status of a national party. The status has enhanced its need and entitlement to office spaces in the New Delhi municipal area. Each of the five other national parties were enjoying allotments in similar locations in the capital.
“Pursuant to the designation as a national party on April 10, 2023, AAP sent multiple requests to the government of India for allotment of office space for its national unit… no space has been allotted despite the passage of almost a year,” the application said.
Further, the party said there had been no explanation forthcoming from the Land and Development Office on why due diligence was not carried out to examine the pre-existing allotment of the space to the AAP. The party urged the court that at least one alternative space should be allotted for its offices in the New Delhi municipal area before ordering vacation.
In brief
Akasa Air to start international operations from March 28
Akasa Air on Friday said it will start international operations with flight services to Doha starting from March 28. “tarting 28 March 2024, Akasa Air will operate four non-stop flights a week, connecting Mumbai with Doha, enhancing air connectivity between Qatar and India,”the airline said in a release. Akasa Air Founder and CEO Vinay Dube said its foray into Qatar marks the next phase of growth as it continues the journey towards becoming one of the world’s top 30 airlines by the turn of this decade. Currently, the airline, which started flying in August 2022, operates 23 Boeing 737 Max aircraft.
RBI gives 15 more days till March 15 to Paytm Payments Bank to stop transactions
The RBI on February 16 gave 15 days more till March 15, 2024 to Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) to stop deposits, credit transactions or top-ups in any customer accounts, wallets, and FASTags, keeping in view the interest of customers, including merchants. As per a January 31 order of the central bank, PPBL was asked to stop further deposits, credit transactions, or top-ups in any customer accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, FASTags, and National Common Mobility Cards, after February 29. The RBI said this is being done keeping in view the interest of customers (including merchants) of PPBL who may require a little more time to make alternative arrangements and the larger public interest.
Priyanka admitted to hospital
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that she has been admitted to hospital due to an illness and hence would not join the party’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on February 16. She sent her best wishes to her brother Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders for the Nyay Yatra and said she would join them as soon as she felt better. The Rahul Gandhi-led Yatra is set to enter Uttar Pradesh late on February 16 evening. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was supposed to join her brother at Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh after the Yatra entered the state from Bihar, sources said. “I was eagerly waiting for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to reach Uttar Pradesh. But due to an illness, I had to be admitted to the hospital today itself. I will join the Yatra as soon as I feel better.”
Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
