1 month ago
The Warsaw territory prosecutor's agency is holding 2 Polish citizens connected suspicion of carrying retired a convulsive onslaught successful Lithuania past period connected exiled Russian governmental dissident Leonid Volkov (R), pictured present pinch Yulia Navalnaya astatine nan European Parliament successful October 2022. File photograph by Stephanie Lecocq/EPA-EFE
April 19 (UPI) -- Two Polish men were arrested connected suspicion of carrying retired a "brutal" onslaught connected exiled Russian governmental dissident Leonid Volkov, nan erstwhile main of unit of nan precocious Russian guidance leader Alexei Navalny, astatine his location successful Vilnius past month, authorities said Friday.
Confirming nan arrests Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda thanked his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda and nan information forces of some countries.
"Navalny adjutant Leonid Volkov was brutally attacked successful Vilnius. Today, I americium gladsome to denote that suspects person been detained successful Poland. Thank you to Andrzej Duda, Polish and Lithuanian rule enforcement. Together we pass nan organizers of nan crime: do not effort to repetition it," Nauseda said successful a post connected X.
Volkov hailed nan arrests and thanked authorities successful some countries for their dogged efforts to way down nan perpetrators of a March 12 hammer onslaught that near him pinch a surgery limb and bloodied limb successful what he described astatine nan clip arsenic "an obvious, typical, gangster greeting from Putin, from bandit St. Petersburg."
"I don't cognize immoderate different specifications yet, but I tin say: I person seen really energetically and persistently nan Lithuanian constabulary person worked complete nan past period connected this case, and I americium very gladsome that this activity has been effective," he wrote on societal media.
The Lithuanian prosecutor's agency said successful a connection that nan men were successful custody successful nan capital, Warsaw, aft being arrested connected April 3 and that nan attack was motivated by Volkov's "beliefs and governmental activities."
Polish constabulary confirmed they had executed a European Arrest Warrant and that nan suspects were being held successful judicial detention astatine nan Warsaw-Praga territory prosecutor's building.
Vollkov, 43, who received infirmary curen after being ambushed by an chartless assailant arsenic he arrived astatine his location successful nan Lithuanian superior wherever he has lived since 2020, served arsenic president of Nalvany's Anti-Corruption Foundation until past year.
The onslaught came 2 days earlier elections successful which President Vladimir Putin swept to a 3rd consecutive word but which Navalny's widow, Yulia, called connected voters to protest.
Russia's Federal Financial Monitoring Service besides placed Volkov connected a "terror" database of individuals authorities judge are engaged successful activities successful support of groups Moscow deems "terrorist aliases extremist."
