"Are you detaining me?" Navalny flies home, and straight into trouble

[webfact]

"Are you detaining me?" Navalny flies home, and straight into trouble

By Polina Ivanova

 

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his wife Yulia Navalnaya walk out of a plane after arriving at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia January 17, 2021. REUTERS/Polina Ivanova

 

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Pobeda flight DP936 was a few minutes into its descent towards Moscow's Vnukovo airport, where thousands of supporters of poisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny were waiting to meet him on his return to Russia, when the flight captain said he could not land as planned.

 

There were "technical difficulties", he said, before adding, audibly amused: "Instead we will calmly make our way to Sheremetyevo airport ... where the weather is great!"

 

It was the first sign to those on board that Navalny's return from Berlin, where he had been treated since August after being attacked in Russia with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok, was not going smoothly.

 

After landing, he sat in the plane, looking out of the window onto a dark, snow-covered runaway and a handful of airport workers in fluorescent vests, holding his wife Yulia's hand in silence.

 

His lawyer, also on board, had said she did not know whether the Kremlin's most vocal and effective critic would be arrested.

 

The 44-year-old is accused of flouting the terms of a suspended sentence for embezzlement in a case that he says was trumped up but could see him jailed for 3-1/2 years.

 

He entered Terminal D with an energetic step. Stopping in front of a glowing, wall-sized panel showing the Kremlin and the Russian flag, he said he had never considered not returning.

 

Speaking to reporters, he thanked the nurses and doctors in Germany who had treated him for the effects of the toxin, from a family originally developed by the Soviet military.

 

But he said that this was, nevertheless, his best day of the past five months.

 

"This is my home," he said. "I'm not afraid."

 

'YOU'RE DETAINING ME'

Then, at border control, things took a turn for the worse.

 

Standing in the narrow corridor of the glass-panelled passport control booth, Navalny was approached by an official who asked him to step away to "clarify the circumstances" of his entry.

 

His wife and lawyer stood right by, but were already separated from him by the metal passport control gate. His lawyer asked on what grounds he was being prevented from entering, but did not receive a clear response.

 

Four police officers in black face masks came up to the booth and also demanded Navalny come with them.

 

"Are you detaining me?" Navalny asked. "You're detaining me," he said, repeatedly. In that case, he said, he would like his lawyer to join him.

 

The back-and-forth continued for around three minutes, until Navalny turned back to his wife.

 

Standing either side of the passport gate, the couple embraced, before Navalny turned around to head away with the police.

 

His wife, his lawyer and his press secretary headed towards baggage reclaim and sat down, Yulia looking calm. She asked the journalists present to give her time to gather her thoughts.

 

Then she walked out into the arrivals hall to be met by a rush of supporters who applauded and chanted: "Yulia! Yulia!" and "Russia will be free!". Some stood on the balconies above. One gave her a bouquet.

 

She was then met by Navalny's brother, Oleg, who spent three-and-a-half years in jail for the same crime that Alexei was convicted of.

 

Standing outside in the icy evening air, Yulia Navalnaya addressed the crowd: "Alexei said today that he is not afraid. I am not afraid either. And I call upon you all not to be afraid."

 

Then she left, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

 

 

Navalny himself, as far as anyone knew, remained in the airport's transit zone.

 

(Writing by Polina Ivanova; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-18

 

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[Tug]

Poor guy the only thing keeping him alive is his notoriety imo as soon as things cool down Putin will have him rubbed out

Edited January 17, 2021 by Tug

[harada]

I’m sure that those who fought to save his life will be impressed with this move, he’s obviously on a suicide mission.

 

[PatOngo]

Czar for life Vlad can't stand opposition, If anyone knows that, it should be you Alexei!

[Pilotman]

Why did he go back?  Bit dumb wasn't it?

[spiekerjozef]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

There were "technical difficulties", he said, before adding, audibly amused: "Instead we will calmly make our way to Sheremetyevo airport ... where the weather is great!"

What a surprise...

The guy has no chance. Putin knows how to play the game.

The media is also doing it's part. Only report what is news today.

(The media is also a business, a circus that wants to make money.)

If you wait 6 months the media is not interested in Navalny anymore.

Then he's sadly just yesterday's news together with all the other Novichok victims.

[mtls2005]

Defenestration anyone?

[MasterBaker]

petty thief becoming a political figure to hide his crimes, farce blown out of proportions by western media.... been there, seen that before

[soi3eddie]

 

A very brave (or, some might say, stupid man), he either didn't get the "message" or chose to ignore it. Hope he can survive and prosper but the odds don't seem good. Wish him, his family and supporters well.

 

[Paul Kernell]

19 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

What a surprise...

The guy has no chance. Putin knows how to play the game.

The media is also doing it's part. Only report what is news today.

(The media is also a business, a circus that wants to make money.)

If you wait 6 months the media is not interested in Navalny anymore.

Then he's sadly just yesterday's news together with all the other Novichok victims.

I think there is much more to this, the KGB are and have been for a long time " rubbing people out", they are very good at it and the chance of survival is 0%. A deception is going on by whom or which side? I don't know!

[Tropicalevo]

4 hours ago, Tug said:

Poor guy the only thing keeping him alive is his notoriety imo as soon as things cool down Putin will have him rubbed out

Yes. Very sad.

I suspect that we will not see him alive again. Russia needs people like him.

[SomchaiCNX]

Yet, Russia has a VETO right in the UN. Just saying. 

[Sujo]

3 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

petty thief becoming a political figure to hide his crimes, farce blown out of proportions by western media.... been there, seen that before

If he was a petty thief they wouldnt bother poisoning him.

[unblocktheplanet]

No different to Assange.

[Proboscis]

5 hours ago, harada said:

I’m sure that those who fought to save his life will be impressed with this move, he’s obviously on a suicide mission.

 

With all due respect, while on the surface it might appear to be a suicide mission, it is now the case that if anything happens to Navalny, even if it is really an accident, Putin will be blamed. This drip drip of information, trying to put him in jail on trumped up charges, then trying to stop him from running for office, then all the evidence including the voice tape of the GRU officer saying how they were planning to kill him, not to mention the most recent evidence of the team of poisoners who were following him on planes looking for their chance.

 

The big problem is now for Putin. If there is one thing that the Russians admire, it is courage. Putin is caught in a dilemma of his own making. He either kills Navalny and looks like the mafia thug that he is and loses popularity or he does not and looks like a pussy.

[KKr]

5 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Why did he go back?  Bit dumb wasn't it?

some people love their motherland more than themselves.
may he live long and in good health.

[KKr]

5 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Why did he go back?  Bit dumb wasn't it?

some people love their motherland more than themselves.
may he live long and in good health.

Edited January 18, 2021 by KKr
SYSTEM INDUCED DOUBLE POST AFTER COMMUNITY NOT AVAILABLE ERROR

[Pilotman]

Just now, KKr said:

some people love their motherland more than themselves.
may he live long and in good health.

That particular  country is being led by a megalomaniac murdering Dictator, who will do whatever it takes to eliminate opposition  and he knows that.  To put himself back in that person's power when he has already only just escaped assassination, and when he didn't need to do so,  is just plain stupid.  He will not last and, frankly,  he only has himself to blame. 

[KKr]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

That particular  country is being led by a megalomaniac murdering Dictator, who will do whatever it takes to eliminate opposition  and he knows that.  To put himself back in that person's power when he has already only just escaped assassination, and when he didn't need to do so,  is just plain stupid.  He will not last and, frankly,  he only has himself to blame. 

and for sure he and his wife thought about that before getting on the plane.
it puts the authorities in a bind, now media will be all over him at least for a few years, and surely he will not keep his mouth shut.
After that, only He knows.

[Pilotman]

3 minutes ago, KKr said:

and for sure he and his wife thought about that before getting on the plane.
it puts the authorities in a bind, now media will be all over him at least for a few years, and surely he will not keep his mouth shut.
After that, only He knows.

If the last few years have shown us anything, it's that Putin doesn't give two figs for world opinion regarding his criminal actions. 

[KKr]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

If the last few years have shown us anything, it's that Putin doesn't give two figs for world opinion regarding his criminal actions. 

locals do care about their own

Edited January 18, 2021 by KKr

[Pilotman]

Just now, KKr said:

locals do

That's not much help I'm afraid, for him or Mother Russia. 

[connda]

I really struggle with this one.  If Russia wanted him dead, he's be dead.  This same "deadly Novichok" story which never seems to capable of killing anyone plays great for publicly demonizing Putin, the GRU, and god-only know who else.  But extrajudicial assassinations are a lot simpler than that.
Occam's Razor.  Navalny is a minor political figure and a pain-in-the-butt at best.  Hardly worth the effort of killing, but had he really been a target, he's be pushing up daisies right now.

Edited January 18, 2021 by connda

[mikebike]

16 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

That particular  country is being led by a megalomaniac murdering Dictator, who will do whatever it takes to eliminate opposition  and he knows that.  To put himself back in that person's power when he has already only just escaped assassination, and when he didn't need to do so,  is just plain stupid.  He will not last and, frankly,  he only has himself to blame. 

Or he sees his commitment to opposition as ultimately more important than his own life. Martyrs are a very compelling method of growing and tightening the commitment to the cause.

[Pilotman]

1 minute ago, mikebike said:

Or he sees his commitment to opposition as ultimately more important than his own life. Martyrs are a very compelling method of growing and tightening the commitment to the cause.

If so, then good luck to him and his family, as martyrs hardly ever get what they aspire to achieve, except death. 

[Emdog]

I can't help thinking of Aquino being shot dead on tarmac when he flew back to Philippines to oppose Marcos

I think many here are giving Russia too much credit for competency if their defense is "If Putin wanted him dead, he'd be dead".

[spiekerjozef]

44 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

That particular  country is being led by a megalomaniac murdering Dictator, who will do whatever it takes to eliminate opposition  and he knows that.  To put himself back in that person's power when he has already only just escaped assassination, and when he didn't need to do so,  is just plain stupid.  He will not last and, frankly,  he only has himself to blame. 

He's getting 1 minute of silence after he passed away.

Then everybody forgets him.... while Putin still runs the show.

[Pilotman]

1 minute ago, Emdog said:

I can't help thinking of Aquino being shot dead on tarmac when he flew back to Philippines to oppose Marcos

I think many here are giving Russia too much credit for competency if their defense is "If Putin wanted him dead, he'd be dead".

Watch this space. You can't compensate for the incompetence of your operatives,  just ask the Saudis after the  Khashoggi murder,

[mikebike]

46 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

If so, then good luck to him and his family, as martyrs hardly ever get what they aspire to achieve, except death. 

Martyrs are the lifeblood of revolution.

[Sujo]

A guy who puts his country above himself. He deserves admiration.

 

i wonder what the strike rate us for people who have run against putin.