Death of Navalny solely Russia's own affairs: Chinese MFA
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China refused to comment on the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navanly, noting that the matter solely concerns Russia.
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The Russian national flag flies in front of the Great Hall of the People before a welcoming ceremony for Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing, China, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (AP)
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturday said that the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is a matter concerning Russia and solely pertains to Russian internal affairs, as reported by AFP.
"This is Russia's internal affair. I will not comment," the ministry told AFP.
On Friday, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service announced that Navalny died in prison. Shortly after, the prison service announced the launch of an investigation into Navalny's death. Although the causes of death remain undetermined, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of being responsible for Navalny's death. They added that the US would consult allies regarding a potential response.
The accusations were vehemently denied by the Kremlin yesterday, as Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov labeled the remarks as outrageous and unacceptable.
Read more: Putin, Xi agree that US working to disrupt affairs of other states
Alexei Navalny was a prominent Russian opposition politician who gained international recognition for his campaign on alleged corruption within the Russian government. On March 22, 2022, Navalny was found guilty of fraud and sentenced for ten years in prison. In August 2023, Navalny received a 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges.
By then, the 47-year-old was already serving multiple sentences for fraud, embezzlement, contempt of court, and probation violation. Navalny maintained his innocence on all counts.
It was also revealed in November 2023 that he had collaborated with Western agencies to spread anti-Russian propaganda online.
West lashes out at Russia
On Friday, European Council President Charles Michel stated that the EU holds Russia accountable for the death of Navalny and conveyed condolences to his family.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg likewise said on Friday that the circumstances surrounding the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny need to be thoroughly investigated, and Russia should address significant questions.
Earlier today, the British government announced it had summoned diplomats from the Russian embassy "to make clear that we hold the Russian authorities fully responsible" for the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron had said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "should be accountable for what has happened."
Read more: Britain summons Russian diplomats over Navalny's death
In a related context, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said that US comments about the death of the Russian opposition figure are an interference in Russia's internal affairs and an attempt to use the situation to justify new sanctions.
"Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny's death," US President Joe Biden said in remarks from the White House shortly after Navalny's death. Similarly, US Vice President Kamala Harris said his death was a sign of what she called "Putin's brutality".
"The death of a person is always a tragedy. It is important in this situation to sort out all the details of what happened. However, local politicians do not want to wait and have already blamed the Russian authorities for everything... They are seeking a reason for... introducing additional sanctions... This is another attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation," Antonov said.
