Leonid Volkov was attacked on Tuesday evening outside his home in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. First, someone allegedly smashed the window of the car he was sitting in and sprayed tear gas in his eyes. Volkov is said to have then been beaten with a hammer. He himself says that he was hit 15 times in the leg. CONFIRM: Leonid Volkov was badly bruised in the hammer attack. Photo: AP According to a spokeswoman, he must have broken an arm and suffered many bruises. But the 43-year-old is not said to have been seriously injured. He was taken care of by paramedics and spent a few hours in hospital. It is not clear how many people he attacked. Volkov was for many years the chief of staff of the late opposition politician Alexei Navalny. He continues to be a very central figure in the opposition even though he now resides in Lithuania. IMPORTANT: Leonid Volkov was the chief of staff of the late Alexei Navalny. He remains a central figure in the Russian opposition. Photo: AFP Navalny died on February 16 in a penal colony in Siberia. He was sentenced to several long prison terms following charges that Western countries believe were politically motivated. Navalny was for many years Russia’s leading opposition politician. He also accused President Putin of widespread corruption. Pointing to Russia Leonid Volkov himself made a brief statement after the attack. PROSECUTOR RUSSIA: Leonid Volkov was attacked outside the house where he lives in Lithuania. Photo: AFP – This is a bandit greeting from Putin from the bandit city of St. Petersburg, says the opposition politician in a video. He adds that someone wanted to make pounded meat out of him with a meat mallet. Police and politicians in Lithuania hope to find those behind it. DON’T BE AFRAID: President Gitanas Nauseda of Lithuania says that everything must be done to find the culprits. Photo: AP – The authorities will assess, investigate and hopefully find the culprit(s), says President Gitanas Nauseda. He leaves little doubt about the direction his suspicions are heading in. – My message to Vladimir Putin is that nobody here is afraid of him, the president continues. Lithuanian intelligence also says that the attack on Volkov was probably organized and carried out by Russia. Crews from Lithuania’s anti-terrorist police are among those who have investigated the scene. Three years ago, news had this interview with Leonid Volkov. – Hazardous work Inna Sangadzhieva is head of department in the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. She says this to news about the attack on Volkov: – It is not so easy to say who is behind the attack. It may be a network controlled by Russian authorities. There may also be local groups that support Putin and his policies. HUNT: Large police forces have been deployed to find the culprits behind the attack on Volkov. Photo: AP According to Sangadzhieva, it is dangerous to work for the Russian opposition. She believes that the most famous people such as Yulia Navalnaya and Leonid Volkov are particularly vulnerable. These are people who work for the West to adopt more punitive measures against Russia. They are also doing what they can so that Putin is not perceived as Russia’s legitimate leader. Sangadzhieva believes that what has happened to Volkov certainly has something to do with the presidential election in Russia. – But it probably also has to do with the war in Ukraine. Things are not going the way Putin wants there. Therefore, it is unlikely that there will be less repression in Russia when Putin has six new years. According to the head of department in the Helsinki Committee, it is important to emphasize that this is not a free and democratic election.
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Navalny’s associate Volkov attacked in Lithuania – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
