Category: Sports (en)

Members of the entourage of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny shared that talks were underway for his release in a prisoner swap before his untimely death.

Alexei Navalny: Putin critic about to be freed in prisoner swap when he died, says ally https://t.co/2sJc9mv1yC

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) February 26, 2024

On February 16, Kremlin opponent Alexey Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony, where he was serving a 19-year sentence on charges widely regarded as political.

A Navalny ally reveals that exchange talks were in the final stages. According to sources, Navalny and two US nationals detained in Russia were being considered in this proposed exchange.

This statement raises questions about the presumed composition of the list, given the incarceration of several Americans in Russia under contentious circumstances. It is plausible to consider the presence of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, accused of espionage, and Michigan security official Paul Whelan, also convicted of espionage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his willingness to negotiate, without mentioning any specific names, but apparently alluding to a Russian national detained in Germany and sentenced to life imprisonment since 2019.

No concrete evidence was provided to back up these claims. German authorities have refused to divulge any information about the Russian prisoner held and any possible exchange talks.

Aaron Bushnell, from San Antonio, Texas, set himself on fire in a tragic act on Sunday to protest what he calls complicity with genocide. The dramatic event took place in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington.

A man set himself on fire on Sunday afternoon outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. A U.S. Air Force spokeswoman, Ann Stefanek, confirmed on Sunday night that the man was an active-duty airman. https://t.co/Xs4p3CdYgG

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 26, 2024

Police and Secret Service agents intervened at around 1pm to deal with the incident. Witnesses and video footage of the scene claim that Bushnell, dressed in uniform, could be heard shouting “Free Palestine”. Despite the swift intervention of the police, the young airman later died from severe burns.

The Associated Press reported that police sources said Bushnell placed his phone on the ground before turning on his own device to broadcast his message live on Twitch, where he declared, “I will not be complicit in genocide.”

According to an Israeli spokesperson, the embassy was unaware of the aviator’s existence before his death. That said, the protests coincide with Israel’s greatly intensified offensive against Gaza, which has prompted international condemnation and debate over allegations of genocide.

A similar incident of self-immolation occurred in Atlanta a month earlier, when a protester set himself on fire outside the Israeli consulate. Both the protester and a security guard suffered burns during the demonstration.

As the investigation into Aaron Bushnell’s latest act continues, there is much discussion about the need for dialogue to resolve what is now a long-running and highly controversial geopolitical conflict.