Two men have been detained in Poland on suspicion of attacking Russian activist Leonid Volkov, an ally of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The attack on Volkov occurred on March 12 outside his home in Vilnius, Lithuania. The suspects, Polish citizens known to police, allegedly traveled to Vilnius before the attack and returned to Warsaw afterward. The suspects were detained on April 3 in an operation in which Lithuanian police participated. Lithuania expects them to be handed over in May, and if convicted on charges of causing bodily harm, they face up to three years in prison.
Both suspects are under arrest in Poland until May 13 on suspicion of organizing an assault on Volkov on the territory of Lithuania on orders from foreign intelligence services. The court in Warsaw’s Praga district has decided to hand them over to Lithuania for a criminal investigation. The lawyers for the suspects have lodged complaints, and the files have been sent to the Appeals Court in Warsaw, the duration of which is unclear. This development came a day after Poland announced the arrest of a Polish man suspected of being ready to spy for Russia’s military intelligence in an alleged plot to assassinate Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Volkov suffered a broken arm in the attack and was hospitalized. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allies of being responsible for the attack and vowed to continue his opposition work. The attack occurred nearly a month after Navalny’s unexplained death in a remote Arctic penal colony. Navalny was Putin’s fiercest critic and had been imprisoned since January 2021 on charges of extremism. His death was widely blamed on the Kremlin by opposition figures and Western leaders, which Moscow vehemently rejected. Navalny’s funeral in Moscow drew thousands of supporters who vowed to continue his work.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced the arrests and thanked Poland for its cooperation in apprehending the suspects. The suspects are facing charges of causing bodily harm and, if convicted, may face up to three years in prison. Volkov expressed his gratitude for the efforts of the Lithuanian police in solving the case and stated that he looked forward to finding out more details about the arrest. Volkov used to be in charge of Navalny’s regional offices and election campaigns and left Russia several years ago under pressure from the authorities.
The arrests of the suspects came following a month-long investigation into the attack on Volkov, who is now living in exile in Lithuania. The attacks on opposition activists like Volkov and Navalny have raised concerns about the safety of those speaking out against the Russian government. The international community has condemned the actions of the Russian authorities in cracking down on dissent and has called for justice for those who have been targeted. The case highlights the ongoing struggles for political dissent in Russia and the risks faced by those who challenge the government’s authority.
