Putin Likely Didn't Order Navalny's Death
US intelligence officials have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely did not directly order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.
While US officials believe Putin ultimately bears responsibility for Navalny's death, who endured harsh conditions during his confinement, the intelligence community has found no evidence that Putin was aware of the timing of Navalny's death or directly ordered it. This information comes shortly before the Russian president's reelection.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
Following Navalny's death, US President Joe Biden stated that Putin was ultimately responsible but did not accuse the Russian president of directly ordering it.
At the time, Biden acknowledged that the US did not know the exact circumstances surrounding Navalny's death but emphasized that it was undoubtedly a consequence of actions taken by Putin and his associates.
Navalny, 47, Russia's most prominent opposition politician and Putin's most persistent critic, died on February 16th in a remote penal colony above the Arctic Circle. He was serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges, which he rejected as politically motivated.
Navalny had been imprisoned since January 2021 after returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he attributed to the Kremlin.
Russian officials have maintained that Navalny died of natural causes and have vehemently denied any involvement in both the poisoning and his death.
In March, a month after Navalny's death, Putin secured a landslide victory in his bid for a fifth term, an outcome that was widely anticipated.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the US intelligence determination.