Navalny Supporter Leonid Volkov Assaulted in Lithuania
Long-time ally and former chief-of-staff of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Leonid Volkov, faced a harrowing attack outside his home in Lithuania. The incident occurred on Tuesday night in Vilnius when an unknown assailant targeted Volkov with a hammer and tear gas while he was in his car, as reported by Navalny spokesperson Kira Yarmysh. Lithuanian police have been notified and are actively investigating the assault.
Volkov, who has resided outside Russia for years due to safety concerns, played a pivotal role in Navalny’s team until the opposition leader’s sudden demise in a Russian prison last month. Serving a 19-year sentence on politically motivated charges, Navalny’s death raised concerns about the safety of those associated with him. The motive behind the attack on Volkov remains unclear.
Ivan Zhdanov, another member of the Navalny team, shared images on social media depicting Volkov with a bloodied lower left leg and apparent bruising to his temple. The severity of the injuries required Volkov to be hospitalized. When asked if the assailant had uttered anything during the attack, Zhdanov noted, “Everything happened in silence,” asserting that it was undoubtedly a political attack.
Volkov, aged 43, has also faced politically motivated charges in Russia. He previously served as the chairman of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation until his resignation last year following the revelation that he had endorsed letters advocating for the European Union to lift certain sanctions against Russia. Despite residing outside Russia, Volkov continued to facilitate Navalny’s activism, ensuring the continuation of anti-corruption investigations, YouTube videos, and live streams during protests and significant events in Russia.
In 2021, after Navalny’s political organization was branded “extremist” and banned in Russia, several activists, including Volkov, relocated abroad. Many former team members of Navalny find themselves imprisoned, along with some of his lawyers.
As Russia prepares for presidential elections this weekend, Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, has called on opponents of Vladimir Putin to gather at polling stations across the country at noon on Sunday for a peaceful political protest—an idea previously endorsed by Alexei Navalny before his death. The attack on Volkov adds another layer of concern regarding the safety of individuals associated with the late opposition leader.
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