The British government summoned diplomats from the Russian embassy on Friday evening February 16 to let them know that the Russian authorities are held
“fully responsible”
for the death of the number one opponent of the Kremlin, Alexeï Navalny.
The British Foreign Office also said in a statement that the death of Alexei Navalny in his Arctic prison must
be “the subject of a full and transparent investigation”
.
“No one should doubt the brutal nature of the Russian system”
“In recent years, authorities have imprisoned him on trumped-up charges, poisoned him with a banned nerve agent, and sent him to an Arctic penal colony. No one should doubt the brutal nature of the Russian system
,” said a spokesperson.
On Friday, the British Foreign Office therefore
“summoned the Russian embassy to make it clear that we hold the Russian authorities fully responsible”
, it is specified.
Previously, the head of British diplomacy David Cameron had warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to
be “accountable”
for the death of the political opponent, paying tribute to his
“courage”
.
Tributes in Europe and the United States
In the evening, hundreds of people gathered across Europe and the United States to pay tribute to Alexei Navalny, who died at the age of 47 in the penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence from prison.
In the British capital, several dozen people gathered in front of the Russian embassy, behind barriers, carrying signs in English or Russian saying
"Putin assassin"
,
"Assassins"
,
"Navalny our hero
"
,
My Russia is in prison”
,
“Don’t give up”
,
“We are Navalny”
or even
“Putin is burning in hell”
.