Navalny Ally Leonid Volkov Attacked in Lithuania
Leonid Volkov, the former chief of staff of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was physically assaulted outside his home in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on Tuesday....
Facts
- Leonid Volkov, the former chief of staff of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was physically assaulted outside his home in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on Tuesday.1
- According to his associates, Volkov was taken to a hospital after someone broke a window of his car, sprayed tear gas into his eyes, and allegedly hit him with a hammer.2
- Volkov detailed the assault in his Telegram channel on Wednesday, revealing that he was hit some 15 times in the leg with a meat tenderizer and had his arm broken.3
- The Lithuanian intelligence service related the attack — which Pres. Gitanas Nausèda claimed to be premeditated and in line with other provocations against his country — to the upcoming presidential election in Russia.4
- Volkov resigned as chairman of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) last year after signing a letter on its behalf, without consulting his colleagues, urging the EU to lift sanctions on businessman Mikhail Fridman.5
- Living in the EU since 2019, Volkov was put on Russia's international wanted list three years ago on charges of enticing minors to participate in unauthorized protests as well as to the country's terrorism and extremism watchlist.6
Sources: 1The New York Times, 2FOX News, 3Novaya Gazeta, 4Al Jazeera, 5Lrt.Lt and 6RT International.
Narratives
- Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by POLITICO. That Volkov was attacked as Russia prepares for a rigged presidential election that will certainly grant Putin a renewed term in office is no surprise, particularly given that the Kremlin spares no efforts to crack down on the opposition. While this operation in Lithuania was designed to serve as a warning to dissidents at home, it further reasserts that Russia is at war with the West.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Global Research. It's no coincidence that the West insists on pointing fingers at the Kremlin — and Putin personally — over anything that happens to people in the opposition camp, as its propaganda machine is now at full tilt to try to divert focus from defeats in Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza. If Western countries did live up to what they preached, Julian Assange, for example, wouldn't be subject to torture for exposing the US' ruthless killings.
