Vice President Kamala Harris has expressed her support for Yulia Navalnaya and her commitment to those fighting for freedom in Russia, following a significant prisoner exchange.
What Happened: On Thursday, Harris posted about her conversation with Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexey Navalny on X. This followed a major prisoner exchange between the US and Russia, which saw the release of 16 individuals detained in Russia. Some of these individuals were collaborators with Navalny in his fight against corruption, according to Harris.
Harris thanked Navalnaya for her courage in continuing her husband’s work and reaffirmed her commitment to stand with those fighting for freedom in Russia and around the world.
After the death of Alexei Navalny, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, vowed to continue the fight against President Vladimir Putin, whom she blamed for her husband’s death. She urged supporters to unite against the Putin administration, promising to personally carry on Navalny’s campaign despite the regime’s brutality.
Why It Matters: The prisoner exchange is a significant development in U.S.-Russia relations. Among those released were Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who were imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges refuted by both the individuals and the U.S.
Also released was Vladimir Kara-Murza, a critic of President Vladimir Putin’s rule and a dual Russian-British citizen, who was sentenced to a record 25-year prison term last year on charges of treason and other offenses related to his criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There were also calls from senators for the inclusion of Pennsylvania’s Marc Fogel, a teacher imprisoned in Russia for cannabis possession, in the prisoner exchange deal.
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