Poisoning of Alexei Navalny

[LesPalenik]

This is how Alexei Navalny found out the FSB agents who poisoned him. He called FSB agents and pretended to be the assistant to a Putin adviser - and learned how exactly he was supposed to be killed.

On Monday morning last week, Alexei Navalny did something unusual for an attempted murder victim. He called his suspected assassins.

It was a few hours before SPIEGEL, after conducting joint research with the investigative platforms Bellingcat and The Insider, as well as the US news broadcaster CNN, revealed that it was apparently a team of at least eight agents from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB who attacked the opposition politician with the nerve agent in August Poisoned Novichok. Navalny had learned the results of the research prior to publication. He decided without further ado to confront the suspects personally. The following descriptions are based on a recording of the events.

First he dialed the number of Michail Schwez, 43, one of the eight FSB agents who are said to have been involved in the poison attack. Navalny pretended to be an advisor to Nikolai Patrushev, the head of the Russian Security Council. But Schwez recognized Navalny's voice and quickly hung up again.

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/alexej-nawalny-legte-seinen-attentaeter-herein-und-brachte-ihn-zum-reden-a-5f55fac2-0180-4dc7-86c0-deb97afe3088

Phone and travel records suggest members of a Russian intelligence team specializing in toxins and nerve agents followed Alexey Navalny to at least 17 cities since 2017. Navalny, an outspoken critic and opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was poisoned with a deadly nerve agent in August.

In recent years the online investigative outfit Bellingcat has identified the Russian military intelligence agents sent to England to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, and a Russian agent accused of murdering a Chechen activist in Berlin. Bellingcat helped uncover the pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine responsible for shooting down the MH-17 airliner in 2014.

By examining thousands of phone records along with flight manifests and other documents obtained by Bellingcat, this joint months-long investigation has identified the agents involved, as well as their backgrounds, communications and travel. The investigation also involved German magazine Der Spiegel and Russian online publication The Insider.
Flight manifests obtained by the investigation show at least three members of the FSB unit flew to Kaliningrad at the same time. Security cameras at the hotel were turned off for the duration of their stay, a source has told Bellingcat.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/14/europe/russia-navalny-agents-bellingcat-ward/index.html

[stamper]

Why are you posting this?

[LesPalenik]

Why are you posting this?

I found it interesting and thought, others might, too.

[stamper]

I found it interesting and thought, others might, too.
[/quote

IMO it is political?

[LesPalenik]

It's more an assassin story.

[LesPalenik]

Reuters published now their version of the story.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-navalny/kremlin-foe-navalny-says-he-pranked-secret-agent-learns-of-underwear-murder-plot-idUSKBN28V24T?il=0

[Frans Waterlander]

Please descend into the muck of the Bear Pit with this.

[Peter McLennan]

Please descend into the muck of the Bear Pit with this.

It's a compelling, current story with zero muck visible.

[LesPalenik]

Please descend into the muck of the Bear Pit with this.

Mein lieber Frans!
What else has upset you this morning? Taking a few deep breaths, stroking a cat, or going for a walk might help.

But fransly, why the "muck" reference? Are you attributing it to Alexei Navalny's mission, cruelty of the assassins, or audacity of press reporting on such matters?

[David Sutton]

Well, we're given the mainstream narrative, but what's the real story?
I don't know. But the central character is a racist convicted criminal (fraud, embezzlement) who has never managed more than 2% of the vote, so it's probably a story about his vanity.

[Frans Waterlander]

Mein lieber Frans!

Ouch, that hurts! I was born in the Netherlands during WWII and emigrated to the U.S. in my thirties.

[Two23]

Mein lieber Frans!
What else has upset you this morning? Taking a few deep breaths, stroking a cat, or going for a walk might help.

But fransly, why the "muck" reference? Are you attributing it to Alexei Navalny's mission, cruelty of the assassins, or audacity of press reporting on such matters?

Totally agree.  It's very interesting.


Kent in SD

[Dale Villeponteaux]

Well, we're given the mainstream narrative, but what's the real story?
I don't know. But the central character is a racist convicted criminal (fraud, embezzlement) who has never managed more than 2% of the vote, so it's probably a story about his vanity.

Yes, mainstream sources such as the BBC and the majority of US news outlets. Never heard the
racist charge; perhaps you could elucidate. The mainstream narrative is that the charges and
convictions were trumped up and scripted, though that something of that nature could happen
in Putin's Russia is, I know, hard to believe.

However, Nevalny did tape record a 45 min. conversation and post it on social media.  Some
red faces in the FSB I expect. I don't know about the 2% vote, but I suspect his influence is
much more widespread, else why the harrassment and attempted poisoning.

If you have other sources, please let us know.

Regards,
Dale

[David Sutton]

Apologies to all in advance if this borders on the political.

A good search engine and a sceptical eye are handy.
To be fair to Navalny, his unfortunate comments about Georgia in 2008 and the Caucasus in 2011 doesn't mean that he is a racist in 2020. Even ultra nationalist bigots can change their mind.
What did the Kremlin make of a Yale trained colour revolution specialist starting activities in Russia? They must have wept for joy when they realised he was, how should I put it, not the brightest light on the Christmas tree. The failure of his recent demonstrations in Khabarovsk and Minsk are prime examples.
They are probably terrified that he won't return to Russia and carry on his activities, lest someone competent take his place.

[David Sutton]

Addendum
Alexei Navalny fell sick on a flight to Moscow and his plane was diverted to Omsk where he was treated successfully. Western media claimed he was poisoned. Being on bail he had to ask for, but received, permission to travel to Germany where he was examined in a civilian hospital. They found nothing. He was then transferred to a military hospital where the findings could not be challenged and it was claimed he had been poisoned by a battlefield binary organophosphate nerve agent. That may be true, but it could also be claimed that he was a diabetic taking anti-depressants and diet pills and got into some cheap booze en route.
As to the Spiegel article. What if we try the narrative in another country? Suppose a political agitator in the US out on bail claims the CIA attempted to poison him with one of the most powerful nerve agents known to the military. He moves to Cuba where he says he got on to the telephone to the CIA pretending to be an advisor to the current president, and got their senior agents to spill the beans. Again, that may be true but you may understand if some people are just a tad sceptical.
I see Navalny as neither a hero nor a villain. I wish him well in his small corner of the world.

[TechTalk]

Well, we're given the mainstream narrative, but what's the real story?

The real story is unlikely to be learned from Putin's propaganda machine. As has been requested before, what are your sources for your claims?

But the central character is a racist convicted criminal (fraud, embezzlement)

But how do you really feel about him?

who has never managed more than 2% of the vote,

The vote? That's kind of vague. Which vote? He received 27% of the vote in the 2013 Moscow mayoral election. He came in 2nd, the winner being the Putin appointed incumbent.

so it's probably a story about his vanity.

You seem to have formed a very definite opinion of the man. How did you become so familiar with his personality?

[LesPalenik]

Below is a link to a recent speech by Alexei Navalny explaining the current situation in Russia (8 min. long speech), followed by other speakers reporting on the situation in Russia and Belarus. You may want to read also the many comments elaborating further on the matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxag9Vof-o4

[David Sutton]

As has been requested before, what are your sources for your claims?
But how do you really feel about him?

Both questions answered above. If that is not understood how can it profit either of us to repeat them?
Always ask "cui bono?". Always apply Occam's Razor. If a headline ends with a question mark the answer will be "No".

[TechTalk]

Both questions answered above. If that is not understood how can it profit either of us to repeat them?
Always ask "cui bono?". Always apply Occam's Razor. If a headline ends with a question mark the answer will be "No".

You have offered plenty of opinion and assertion. Zero sources.

[David Sutton]

You have offered plenty of opinion and assertion. Zero sources.

What else? I'm certainly not going to offer links. I can see where that would lead.
I'm interested in pointing out that there are alternative (more likely?) explanations of events than those offered by the MSM narrative.
Do your own research. Start with a search for "Navalny diet" or "Navalny diabetic". No one is asking you to concur with what you find.