The ambassador arrived at the Černín Palace shortly before 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Even though Zmejevský was summoned by Minister Lipavský, the head of Czech diplomacy did not negotiate with the ambassador. Zmejevsky negotiated with deputy Eduard Hulicius (43). The meeting lasted about 10 minutes. „I can confirm that Minister Lipavský decided to summon the Russian ambassador in connection with the death of Alexei Navalny. The Czech Republic called for an explanation of the circumstances of the death and an explanation of the non-release of the body to the family of the deceased.” Daniel Drake, spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs, said for Blesk Zprávy.
The Czech Republic thus joins other European countries that have already summoned Russian ambassadors over Navalny’s death. These are Germany, France, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands. TReba Berlin demands the release of all political prisoners in Russia. And Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruinsová Slotová called on the Kremlin – like Prague now – to hand over the remains of the deceased opposition figure to the family.
On Friday, February 16, the Russian Prison Service announced that Navalny had died suddenly after becoming ill while out for a walk. He was supposed to have lost consciousness and could not be revived. According to the authorities, the Russian opposition leader was imprisoned in one of the harshest penal colonies in Russia, which is about 1,900 kilometers from Moscow and lies beyond the Arctic Circle.
His mother, Lyudmila, and his widow, Yuliya, have already called on Russian President Vladimir Putin (71) to release Navalny’s body to his family so they can say goodbye to him. “Release Alexei’s body and allow him to be buried with dignity. Don’t prevent people from saying goodbye to him,” X’s widow Julija wrote on the social network. On Monday, according to Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Jarmyšová, the authorities announced to the family and lawyers that they can release the remains in 14 days at the earliest, during which a “chemical expertise” will be carried out.
The face of the opposition
Navalny was for years the main face of the opposition against the Russian “tsar” Putin and criticized the regime, among other things, for corruption. The opposition leader also blamed the Kremlin for trying to poison him. However, he returned to the country after recovering in Germany. And he was immediately imprisoned. He was successively sentenced to more than 30 years in prison on various charges. But he denied the blame.
Zmejevsky on the “carpet” several times
Zmeyevsky was not on the carpet at the ministry for the first time. Two years ago on February 23, the ambassador was explaining the Kremlin’s recognition of two separatist republics in eastern Ukraine. And that on the eve of the war. Last October, Zmejevsky was summoned for the murders of civilians in Ukraine. And for example, in 2019, the ambassador explained the inclusion of People in Need on the list of undesirable organizations. Back then, Czech diplomacy was headed by Tomáš Petříček (42, SOCDEM).