– I still have hope that it is fake news from Russia, says the Russian journalist Georgii Chentemirov in the online newspaper Barents Observer. On Friday afternoon, the message came from the Russian prison authorities that Alexei Navalny has died. However, since the news came from official quarters, Chentemirov fears that Navalny is actually dead. So do his Russian journalist colleagues in Kirkenes. – I’m a little lost for words now. It’s a big shock, says journalist colleague Olesia Krivtsova to the newspaper Sør-Varanger Avis. To news, she describes Navalny as her hero. – I started protesting because of him. Today is a terrible day for all of us. The Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny is said to be dead, according to the Russian authorities. Photo: Pavel Golovkin It is the prison authorities in the Yamal-Nenets region, where Navalny has been imprisoned, who announce that he is dead. The Kremlin also confirms that Navalny is dead, but says they have no information on the cause of death. Chentemirov is convinced that Navalny was killed by the Russian authorities, as a result of the conditions he has lived under in prison. He thinks so even if Navalny’s cause of death may turn out to be health-related. – Navalny was the main face of the Russian opposition. He was the leader of those who do not support Putin, and now he has been killed. Both Georgii Chentemirov and Olesia Krivtsova have escaped from Russia. Olesia Krivtsova and Georgii Chentemirov in front of a picture of Alexei Navalny. Both journalists have escaped from Russia. Photo: Kristin Humstad / news The skeptical online newspaper Barents Observer is based in the border town of Kirkenes and mainly covers news from the northern regions in Norwegian, Chinese and Russian. Several of the journalists are Russian journalists who have fled their home country in the last two years. – It is not good to know what has happened. This is the official version. I am skeptical about this, says the Russian journalist Olesia Krivtsova. The editor of the Barents Observer, Thomas Nilsen, believes that it is not a far-fetched thought that Navalny could have been killed. He says that to Sør-Varanger newspaper. During the Barents Spectacle, a large picture of the Russian opposition politician is on display in the center of Kirkenes, as part of the “Faces of Russian Resistance” exhibition. The exhibition is organized by the association SmåRådina. Flowers, both red and white, have been hung on the fence in front of the picture of Navalny. Photo: Sebastian Faugstad / news Svetlana Bodina in the association SmåRådina found out about Navalny’s death when she landed in Kirkenes. – The first news I heard was the news of his death. It’s terrible news. I am shocked. The organization SmåRådina has already started organizing spontaneous demonstrations. On Friday, there will be demonstrations at the Russian embassies in Bergen and Oslo. On Friday afternoon, several flowers were laid by the picture in Kirkenes. – I have also brought flowers. I am a journalist, I should be neutral, but in this situation I cannot be neutral. It’s just black, not black and white, says Krivtsova. Putin’s critic Navalny has become particularly well-known for his revelations of corruption in the Russian power apparatus. He was the most high-profile critic of Vladimir Putin when he was poisoned in August 2020. He returned to Russia after treatment in Germany and was then arrested. He has until now been imprisoned in a penal colony in Yamal-Nenets, which is located in the north of central Russia. He has served several different sentences totaling more than 30 years. Navalny has long maintained that the accusations are fabricated to stop his political ambitions. In 2021, he received the Sakharov Prize, which is the EU’s prize for human rights. Not commenting Alexei Navalny’s lawyer is not commenting on his client’s alleged death, on advice from Navalny’s family. – At the request of Navalny’s family, I am not commenting on anything. Now we have to figure things out. Aleksej had a lawyer visit on Wednesday, and then everything was fine, says lawyer Leonid Solovyov to the opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) uses strong words about the situation. – The Russian authorities bear full responsibility for Navalny’s tragic death, he says. Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zaharova, writes in an update on Telegram that NATO leaders’ reactions to the news are “revealing”. – The forensic report is not ready yet, but the West has already drawn conclusions, she writes.
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– I hope that it is fake news – news Troms and Finnmark
