Norway summons Russian envoy over death of opposition figure Navalny

ATHENS

Norway’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the Russian envoy over the death of prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny last week.

“The Russian Ambassador was summoned to the Norwegian MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) today regarding the tragic death of Alexey Navalny,” the ministry said on X.

“Our clear message: Russian authorities are responsible and need to facilitate an open investigation,” it said and demanded the release of “all political prisoners” in Russia.

On Monday, Finland and Sweden, two other Nordic states, summoned the Russian ambassadors to their countries over the death of Navalny.

The Russian penitentiary service announced on Friday that the 47-year-old opposition figure died in a prison colony while serving a 19-year sentence for extremism.

Navalny was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after being treated for poisoning in a Berlin hospital. Western countries and Navalny himself blamed Russia for the poisoning, a claim the Kremlin denies.

In August 2021, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison for extremism and other crimes. He was already serving an 11-year and five-month sentence for fraud.