Teen Sets Office of Putin’s Party Ablaze as ‘Revenge for Navalny,’ Report Says
A half-minute video of the alleged arson shows someone throwing a Molotov cocktail and yelling, “Freedom to Russia.”
Donte Tatum/Getty
Russian authorities say a teenager has been arrested for setting a local office of Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party on fire as “revenge for Alexei Navalny.” The incident occurred on the evening of Feb. 16, just hours after Navalny’s death was announced, according to Baza, a Telegram channel that has been linked to Russian security services. A half-minute video, which was reportedly circulated on anonymous Telegram channels, shows a figure throwing a Molotov cocktail at the office in the Moscow region as he yells, in a digitally altered voice, “Freedom to Russia” and “It’s my choice.” The fire was reportedly quickly extinguished, and it appeared to have been contained to the roof of the entrance to the building. United Russia has said it is viewing the arson as an “act of terrorism” and that the firestarter explicitly said he was acting in response to Navalny’s death. The teenager has so far only been charged with “hooliganism.”
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