The EU holds Russia responsible for Navalni's death and assures that his fight for democracy does not end

The European Union has held the Russian authorities responsible this Friday for the death of the influential Russian opponent Alexei Navalny while he was serving a sentence in a prison in the Yamalia-Nenetsia region, stating that the dissident fought for his values ​​and that his fight for democracy was not ends with his death.

"Alexei Navalny fought for the values ​​of freedom and democracy. For his ideals, he made the ultimate sacrifice. The EU considers the Russian regime solely responsible for this tragic death," said the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in a message on social networks after hearing the news.

In this sense, he has conveyed his condolences to the family and to the democracy activists who work in "the darkest conditions." Fighters die. But the fight for freedom never ends," she concluded.

For the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the death of Vladimir Putin's main opponent is a "somber reminder" of what the Moscow regime is.

"Putin fears nothing more than the dissent of his own people. This is a grim reminder of what Putin and his regime are all about. Let us unite in our fight to safeguard the freedom and security of those who dare to stand up to autocracy," has indicated.

For his part, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has said he is "shocked" by the media reports about the death of Navalni, "a very brave man who dedicated his life to saving honor." of Russia, giving hope to democrats and civil society.

In this sense, he has directly pointed out the Kremlin as responsible for the death of the dissident. "Pending more information, let's be clear: this is Putin's sole responsibility," he said.

Along the same lines, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has assured that the world "has lost a fighter whose courage will continue to resonate for generations." "Russia took away his freedom and his life, but not his dignity," she said.

In this sense, he recalled that the European Parliament recognized him with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Conscience in 2021 and insisted that despite his death "his fight for democracy is still alive." The European Parliament highlighted his "great value" in reestablishing the freedom of choice of Russians and his years of work in favor of Human Rights and freedoms. "This has cost him his freedom and almost his life," said then the vice president of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala.

Poisoned in the summer of 2020 with a Novichok-type agent, Navalny was treated for months in a hospital in Germany and was imprisoned in Moscow upon his return to the country in January 2021. A Moscow court sentenced him to 19 years in prison for extremism, a sentence that had to be served under a special regime. In early January, the dissident was placed in solitary confinement after being transferred from prison to a prison in Yamalo-Nenetssia.

The Russian opponent had criticized that the Russian authorities "took advantage of any pretext" to impose isolation on him and denounced the conditions in which he is being held. His entourage then warned that the opponent's whereabouts were unknown for almost three weeks after he did not appear at successive court hearings.