Hammer attack on aide to late Russian opposition leader Navalny!

Leonid Volkov, an aide to late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison on February 16, was attacked with a hammer in front of his home in Lithuania.

Kira Yarmysh, the spokesperson for opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who passed away in a Russian prison last month, announced that Leonid Volkov, an aide to Navalny living in Lithuania, was attacked in front of his home yesterday evening. Sharing on her social media account, Yarmysh stated, "Someone broke the car window and sprayed tear gas, then the attacker started hitting Leonid with a hammer."

43-year-old Volkov, who suffered a broken arm and injuries to his leg and head, was taken to the hospital, and an investigation into the incident has been launched. Ivan Zhdanov from Navalny's team said, "Of course, this is clearly a political attack, there is no doubt about it."

''NO ONE IS AFRAID OF PUTIN''

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, in his statement regarding the incident, said that the attack on Leonid Volkov was clearly planned in advance and linked to other provocations against Lithuania. Nauseda said, "I can tell (Russian President Vladimir) Putin one thing, no one here is afraid of you."

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis described the attack as "shocking" and said that the perpetrators must be "held accountable."

NAVALNY'S DEATH

47-year-old Alexei Navalny, described as the fiercest opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died on February 16 in the IK-3 penal colony in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, where he was being held.

In a statement made by the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), it was stated, "Inmate Alexei Navalny felt unwell after a walk on February 16 and lost consciousness. The institution's medical staff arrived quickly and an ambulance was called. Resuscitation efforts did not yield results."

While the cause of Navalny's death was initially announced as "sudden death syndrome," the Russian Investigative Committee stated that his body would not be handed over to his family for at least 14 days for chemical analysis. Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, had alleged that "her husband's body was being held until traces of poisoning disappeared."

Navalny's body was handed over to his mother on February 24, and a funeral ceremony was held in Moscow on March 1.

His relatives and Western countries claim that Navalny was killed on Putin's orders.

HE WAS INVESTIGATING PUTIN AND HIS INNER CIRCLE

Russian opposition leader, anti-corruption activist, and lawyer Alexei Navalny was investigating corruption cases involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle.

Navalny, who was poisoned while on a plane in Russia in 2020 and arrested upon his return to Russia from Germany where he was receiving treatment in 2021, was sentenced to 19 years in prison on August 4, 2023, on charges of organizing protests by opposition figures in Russia, conducting illegal activities through the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which is banned in Russia, making statements against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, and financing "extremist" activities.

For Navalny, who was sentenced to 9 years in prison and a fine of 1 million 200 thousand rubles in March 2022 on charges of fraud and contempt of court, cases were opened on a total of 5 different charges during his imprisonment.