Canada Press: Reports of Alexei Navalny’s death a reminder of ‘what a monster Putin is’: Trudeau
Reports of Alexei Navalny’s death in a Russian prison are tragic and horrifying, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, offering his condolences to the opposition leader’s family and all who champion his pursuit of justice.
Trudeau described Navalny as someone who was “standing up with extraordinary courage for a better future for Russia and Russians.”
He added: “We know how much that scares and continues to scare (Russian President) Vladimir Putin.”
Andrea Chandler comments:
Carleton University political science professor Andrea Chandler said one way for Canada to respond would be “to say that they hope that the Navalny family will one day know the full facts of what happened to their loved one.”
She said the UN General Assembly recognized the right to the truth in 2005, under which families of individuals who “died mysteriously under authoritarian regimes are entitled to accountability.”
Chandler said “such a statement would avoid the empty gesture of calling upon Putin to respect human rights, and instead remind him that justice may come one day whether he likes it or not.”