https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68401873

<quotes>

Alexei Navalny was about to be freed in a prisoner swap when he died, according to his ally Maria Pevchikh.

She said the Russian opposition leader was going to be exchanged for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian hitman who is serving a life sentence for murder in Germany.

Ms Pevchikh, who is the chairwoman of his Anti-Corruption Foundation, said negotiations for a prisoner swap had been under way for two years.

According to Ms Pevchikh, Russian President Vladimir Putin changed his mind about the deal at the last minute. She said he "could not tolerate Navalny being free" - and since there was an agreement "in principle" for Krasikov's freeing, Mr Putin decided to "just get rid of the bargaining chip" and "offer someone else when the time comes."

"Putin has gone mad with hatred for Navalny," Ms Pevchikh said. "He knows Navalny could've defeated him."

</quotes>

Doesn't sound that convincing to me but "Mad Mullah" explanations have long been popular in the west to support our demonisation of those we deem enemies; we simply have to believe them for them to become truth.

There seems no logical reason Putin would have gone along with such a prisoner swap for years only to have Navalny killed after finalizing a deal to do it.

There is no logic or rationality in bringing a world of shit, sanctions and backlash, down upon himself, when he could have got rid of Navalny some other way and with plenty of plausible deniability of blame.

Perhaps those peddling this made-up bullshit could start by explaining how Navalny was ever going to defeat Putin, why Putin would ever fear such a thing happening.

But it's easy to pretend he did it "to send a message" and he did it because he's a nut job, insane, crazy; all the typical and familiar western propaganda demonisations we so readily throw about when our allegations don't have any other credibility.