G7 commits to ‘hold all’ accountable for Alexei Navalny’s killing in Russia
G7 Italy (Image credit X @G7)
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, February 24: Days after the US imposed enhanced restrictions on Russia, the G7 has asserted that it will hold all accountable for the killing of the main Opposition Russian leader Alexei Navalny. The G7 has also asked Russia to clarify on circumstances leading to the death of Navalny.
The death of Navalny sparked a global outcry against the alleged Russian suppression of the Opposition in the country. Navalny was widely known as an anti-corruption crusader. He had been staging rallies in Russia until his arrest and conviction to allege that the Russian President Vladimir Putin is presiding over a corrupt regime.
The G7 in a statement said that it stands by the “extraordinary courage of Alexei Navalny and stand with his wife, children, and loved ones. He sacrificed his life fighting against the Kremlin’s corruption and for free and fair elections in Russia.”
The grouping of the most industrialized nations held the first meeting of the heads of the state under the Presidency of Italy. The leaders of G7 further said: “We call on the Russian government to fully clarify the circumstances around his death. We equally call on the Russian government to free all unjustly detained prisoners and to stop the persecution of political opposition and the systematic repression of Russians’ rights and freedoms. We will hold those culpable for Navalny’s death accountable, including by continuing to impose restrictive measures in response to human rights violations and abuses in Russia and taking other actions.”
It is notable to mention that Navalny in his lifetime had claimed that Putin could be defeated if his war in Ukraine was lost. The G7 reiterated resolve to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. The Leaders of the Group of Seven met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm support for Ukraine.
The G7 in its statement said: “They have resisted for two years Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked full-scale invasion which constitutes a blatant violation of the UN Charter. They have proven their will to defeat President Putin’s war machine, restore their nation’s territorial integrity, and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.”
It also stated that “President Putin has failed to achieve his strategic objective of subjugating Ukraine. Instead, he is forcing his own people to pay a heavy price for his government’s reckless actions each day. He has drained Russia’s resources to fund an unnecessary war, torn Russian families apart, and claimed hundreds of thousands of Russian lives.”
It may be noted that Putin in an interview with an independent American journalist had suggested that he would seek the western nations to hold peace talks by recognizing the Russian speaking parts of Ukraine as territories of Russia. The Ukraine War is also topping the elections agenda in the US.
The G7 also stated that “Ukraine exports its grain and agricultural products to the most vulnerable nations, including through the implementation of the Grain Verification Scheme. We call on Russia to cease its efforts to weaponized food supply and support safe commercial navigation of the Black Sea.”
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