Vladimir Putin's opponent, Alexei Navalny, was serving a 19-year prison sentence in a penal colony in the Russian Arctic.
On Friday February 16, his death shocked the whole world.
“It was a very sad day” for Russia, replied Marina Litvinenko, widow of the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko (poisoned in 2006), questioned by AFP during an interview in London.
According to her, the death of Alexeï Navalny must push Western countries to move from “words to actions” in the face of Putin's regime.
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Read alsoVery moved, Yulia Navalnaïa holds Vladimir Putin “personally responsible” for the death of her husband, Alexeï Navalny
Her husband, Alexander Litvinenko, was an agent of the KGB and then the FSB.
He was exiled to the United Kingdom after sulfurous – and often unverifiable – revelations.
On November 23, 2006, he was found dead at the age of 43, around twenty days after being poisoned with polonium 210, an extremely toxic radioactive substance.
“I understand very well how Yulia (Navalny) may feel after what happened to her husband,” she said with anger and emotion.
And to continue: “It was a very sad day, not only for Alexeï Navalny’s family – his wife, his son and his daughter – but also for many Russians who dream of a better future for their country.”
Marina Litvinenko, who has long fought for the circumstances surrounding her husband's death to be clarified, urged the opponent's widow to ensure that the international community "never forgets" her husband's death .
“It’s not enough to talk about it yesterday, today and maybe for a few more days.
We will have to talk about it for as long as necessary until Yulia gets justice,” she insisted.
“Support Ukraine”
The British public inquiry concluded in 2016 that Vladimir Putin "probably approved" the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, carried out according to it by the businessman Dmitri Kovtoun and the former secret agent turned MP, Andreï Lugovoi, with whom the ex-spy had tea on November 1, 2006. Likewise, the European Court of Human Rights judged Russia “responsible” for this assassination in 2021, which the Kremlin has always denied.
For the wife of the former spy, the death of Alexeï Navalny must lead the international community and in particular Western countries to move “from words to actions” in the face of the Russian president, the only candidate for his re-election in March.
“It’s important (that leaders) say how much they regret and sympathize, but it’s not enough,” she defended.
For her, these “acts” involve above all the support of Ukraine, at war against Russia for almost two years after the invasion launched by Moscow.
“The only way to help the Russian opposition to overthrow Putin's regime is to support Ukraine,” she said.
Marina Litvinenko also advocates for Western countries to stop buying Russian oil and gas, financing Moscow's war effort.
Despite the despondency caused by the death of Alexeï Navalny, the widow of the man she affectionately nicknames “Sasha” wants to remain optimistic about the future of her country, moved by the numerous rallies of support in front of the Russian embassies in the four corners of the world.
“We cannot live without hope for a better future.
I believe that one day Russia will be able to change,” she added.