‘They are lying…': Alexei Navalny's wife as she demands Vladimir Putin to be punished over husband's death

“We cannot believe Putin’s government. They are lying constantly. But if this is the truth…I'd like Putin and all his staff to know that they will be punished for what they have done with our country, with my family and with my husband. We should fight this horrific regime in Russia today," Yulia Navalnaya told the Munich Security Conference.

The wife of Alexei Navalny led calls on at a Western security gathering for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be held accountable for the jailed Kremlin opponent's death. Over three days, the German city of Munich hosted hundreds of diplomats, military officers, and politicians for the annual "Davos of Defence" conference.

The gathering was expected to be dominated by the war in Israel and Ukraine as well as fears over US commitment to defence if former President Donald Trump is re-elected.

However, the news from the Russian prison service that Navalny had passed away on a stroll at an Arctic prison colony had shocked them. In order to allow Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's wife, to speak, the organizers went against the plan.

A standing ovation greeted Navalnaya as she entered the stage. "I thought for a long time if I should come out here or immediately fly to my children," she remarked. "However, I then considered what Alexei would do in my position. And he would undoubtedly be there here, on this stage."

Navalnaya stated that she was unsure of whom to trust in the Russian government. "We cannot believe Putin’s government. They are lying constantly. But if this is true, I want Putin, his entire entourage, Putin’s friends, his government to know that they will bear responsibility for what they did to our country, to my family, to my husband."

Additionally, US Vice President Kamala Harris stated during the conference that Navalny's death, if verified, would be another illustration of Putin's violence. "Whatever story they tell, let us be clear, Russia is responsible." A meeting took place between Navalnaya and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the Munich Security Conference.