A long-time ally of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been attacked outside his home in Lithuania.
Leonid Volkov, a long-time ally of Alexei Navalny, was assaulted with a hammer and tear gas while in his car outside his home in Vilnius on Tuesday night, Navalny spokesperson Kira Yarmysh has said.
The alleged assailant is unknown, as is their motive – though it appears to be political.
Another member of the Navalny team, Ivan Zhdanov, posted pictures on social media of Mr Volkov with a bloodied lower left leg and what looked like bruising to his temple.
Asked whether the assailant had shouted anything, Mr Zhdanov said: „Everything happened in silence.”
Volkov’s wife said he had returned home from hospital with a broken hand or arm, adding that he was unable to walk because of the hammer blows to his leg.
„We will all work even more. And with even greater anger”, she posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Volkov has lived outside Russia for some years for his own safety and served as Navalny’s chief-of-staff until Navalny’s death last month.
Volkov, who is 43, also faces various politically motivated charges in Russia.
He served as chairman of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation until last year when he resigned following the revelation he had signed letters calling for the European Union to drop some Russian sanctions.
Despite living outside Russia, like many Russian activists after being labelled extremist and banned in Russia, he has also made sure that the activism of Navalny and his team could continue. This has included anti-corruption investigations, YouTube videos and livestreams during protests and major events in Russia, says the BBC.
Several of Navalny’s former team are now in prison, as well as some of his lawyers.
With presidential elections this weekend, Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya has called on opponents of Vladimir Putin to turn up at polling stations across Russia at midday on Sunday in an act of peaceful political protest – an idea supported by the late Navalny.
Photoshop flop: Why the British royal family got it wrong (and won’t do it again)
