Navalny Dies in Russian Prison

Author

Global Recap
February 16, 2024 • Read in: 7 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

Arguably one of Putin’s fiercest critics, Alexey Navalny, has “suddenly” died today in prison.

But some things are just not adding up…

Plus, people are now looking to Biden.

🌐 Around the World

  • 🇷🇺 Navalny Dies in Russian Prison

  • 🇺🇦 Ukraine to Sign Security Deals

  • 🏳️‍🌈 Yes to Same-Sex Marriage

  • 💰 $1.8B Money Laundering Busted

  • 🇪🇬 Egypt Builds Wall for Gaza

Russia

🇷🇺 Navalny Dies in Russian Prison

Alexey Navalny (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right).

The Russian prison service confirmed that Alexey Navalny, the infamous opposition leader and Kremlin critic, has suffered “sudden death” in custody.

  • Imprisonment: Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent in 2020 and survived, but was later arrested and sentenced to a total of more than 30 years in prison.

  • Timing: His death comes shortly before the Russian presidential election on March 17. 🤔

  • Death: He felt “unwell after a walk” and then “almost immediately” lost consciousness.

"We need to establish all the facts, and Russia needs to answer all the serious questions about the circumstances of his death.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg

Sudden Death

His death is especially puzzling as he was in good spirits yesterday:

Sus Timing

Anton Gerashchenko, the former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, pointed out that the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service posted information about the death just two minutes after it occurred.

This speed is surprisingly fast, almost too fast.

Biden’s Response?

In 2021, US President Joe Biden warned Putin that there would be “devastating” consequences for him if Navalny died in prison.

Now that’s happened, what will Biden do?

Or will he just eat his own words?

Ukraine

🇺🇦 Ukraine to Sign Security Deals

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is visiting Germany and France to sign bilateral security agreements and seek military assistance amid the ongoing war with Russia.

  • Reshuffle: The trip coincides with a major reshuffle of his military command and a speech at the Munich security conference.

  • Agreements: Ukraine aims to use the security deals with Berlin and Paris as a framework for long-term support as US support wanes.

  • NATO: Ukraine’s strategic goal is to join the NATO alliance, which would invoke the collective defense clause in the event of aggression. This is a step forward in that direction.

Greece

🏳️‍🌈 Yes to Same-Sex Marriage

Greece has become the first Orthodox-majority country to legalize marriage and adoption for same-sex couples.

The historic law passed with a 176-76 vote in parliament, despite strong opposition from the Church and conservative groups.

  • Equality: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the law would “boldly abolish a serious inequality” and make many invisible people visible.

  • Resistance: The Orthodox Church and its supporters denounced the law as a threat to the social cohesion and moral values of the country.

  • Record: Greece was one of the last EU countries to grant marriage equality to same-sex couples, following 15 other member states.

Hong Kong

💰 $1.8B Money Laundering Busted

Hong Kong customs officials have cracked down on the largest-ever money laundering case in the city’s history, involving about $1.8 billion.

  • Scam App: The case is linked to a scam involving a mobile app in India and a transnational criminal syndicate that used shell companies and bank accounts to launder illicit funds.

  • Arrests: Seven local residents, aged between 23 and 74, were arrested as part of the operation. One of them is suspected to be the mastermind of the scheme.

  • Confiscation: Authorities seized electronic devices, documents, and over 8,000 carats of synthetic gemstones that were allegedly meant for export to India.

Egypt

🇪🇬 Egypt Builds Wall for Gaza

Egypt is constructing a walled enclosure along its border with Gaza that seems to be a contingency plan for housing Palestinians fleeing from a possible Israeli attack on Rafah.

  • Construction: Photos and videos show workers erecting high concrete barriers and security towers around a strip of land on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.

  • Motivation: Egyptian officials have expressed alarm that Israel’s actions could force millions of Palestinians to attempt to cross the border and into the Sinai.

  • Reaction: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his intention to send troops into Rafah, while Egypt has threatened to withdraw from its peace treaty with Israel in the event of an Israeli ground assault.