Alexei Navalny associate claims he was set to be released in prisoner swap before death

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- One of Alexei Navalny's associates said on Monday that the late Russian opposition leader was being prepped as part of a possible prisoner exchange for a convicted Russian assassin in Germany when he died earlier this month.

Chair of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation Maria Pevchikh claimed in a YouTube video, without evidence, that negotiations had been underway for two years.

"It could and should have happened. Navalny in coming days was supposed to have been freed, because we had achieved a decision on his release," she said. "I received confirmation that negotiations were at the final stages on the evening of Feb. 15. On Feb. 16, Alexei was killed."

Pevchikh alleged that the deal would have seen two Americans freed alongside Navalny in exchange for the release of Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence in Germany.

She warned that since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it had become "clear that Putin would stop at nothing" making it necessary that Navalny be released "at any cost, and urgently."

"A swap was one of the obvious ways to save him, but initially the task seemed impossible," she said.

Pevchikh said Navalnly's team worked to find a way to facilitate the exchange, noting that officials from Germany and the United States "nodded with understanding, said how important it was to help Navalny and political prisoners, shook hands, promised and did nothing."

She suggested, though, that Putin never wanted Navalny free and sought to "offer someone else" in the prisoner exchange for Krasikov by getting "rid of the bargaining chip."

Krasikov was convicted of killing former Chechen rebel Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin in 2019. German prosecutors charged that he was acting on behalf of the Kremlin's Federal Service agency, Russia's version of the former Soviet-era KGB.

Pevchikh did not provide details on what Americans would be freed in the deal but cited a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. officials sought a swap involving Krasikov as an avenue to secure the release of WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-Marine Paul Whelan, both held on espionage charges.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he would be open to a prisoner swap including Gershkovich earlier this month.

While Navalnly's supporters and international leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden blamed Putin for Navalnly's death, Russia's Federal Prison Service said he died after falling a the end of a walk and medical teams were unable to revive him.

Russian officials on Saturday released Navalny's body to his family, some eight days after they announced his death and Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmish said Monday that his team was searching for a venue for a public ceremony.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not react to the claims made by Pevchikh but said claims that the government was involved in Navalny's death and were pressuring the family into a private burial were "absurd."

"The Kremlin has nothing to do with this. Naturally, there can be no pressure from the Kremlin. This is yet another absurd statement by [Navalny's] followers," he said.