Two detained in Poland over attack on Navalny aide: reports

Two people have been detained in Poland on suspicion of attacking a top aide to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to reports on Friday.

Russian opposition activist Leonid Volkov.

Photo: EPA/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

Leonid Volkov, an exiled Navalny aide, was attacked with a hammer on March 12 outside his home in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

🔴 PILNE | Atak na rosyjskiego opozycjonistę. Prezydent Litwy: dwie osoby zatrzymane w Polsce | @zalewski_kahttps://t.co/E26KFrq9zi

— PolskieRadio24.pl (@PR24_pl) April 19, 2024

Lithuania's counterintelligence said at the time that the attack was the work of Russian security services, according to a report by the Reuters news agency.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Friday thanked Poland's authorities and law enforcement for the detentions and said the two suspects would be transferred to Lithuania, Reuters reported.

A month ago, Navalny aide @leonidvolkov was brutally attacked in Vilnius.

Today, I am glad to announce that suspects have been detained in Poland.

Thank you to @AndrzejDuda, 🇵🇱 and 🇱🇹law enforcement. Together we warn the organizers of the crime: do not try to repeat it!

— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) April 19, 2024

"I thank Poland for a really good job," Nausėda said, as cited by Reuters. "I discussed this with Polish President Andrzej Duda."

Thanks a lot, Mr. President.
And great thanks to Lithuanian and Polish law enforcement agencies for the tremendous work they’ve done.

It is of enormous importance to investigate and to expose all the chain-of-command from Putin to the guy with the hammer. https://t.co/Yai5DLqEN3

— Leonid Volkov (@leonidvolkov) April 19, 2024

Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in an Arctic penal colony in February.

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Source: Reuters, IAR, PAP