Two Suspects In Connection With The Attack On The Late Leader Of Russia's Opposition, Navalny Arrested In Poland

Leonid Volkov was rushed to hospital. (Twitter/@taamnavalny)

JAKARTA - The Polish and Lithuanian police said on Friday they had detained two people in Poland on suspicion of involvement in the attack on Leonid Volkov, aide to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Polish police said on social media platform X they had arrested the two suspects, in collaboration with Lithuanian police in response to a European arrest warrant.

A court spokesman in Warsaw who handled the case said the suspects were accused of "acting in organized groups, carrying out foreign state special service orders" and damaging the health of Russian nationals in Lithuania.

The spokesman further said the suspects would be detained before the 40-day trial, while their lawyers had filed an appeal.

Di Vilnius, wakil kepolisian kriminal Lithuania Saulius Briginas, mengatakan pada konferensi pers, para tersangka adalah warga negara Poland dan telah ditahan pada 3 April di Warsaw.

Volkov suffered a hammer wound in an attack on March 12 outside his home in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

Lithuanian intelligence counters said at the time the attack was carried out by Russian special services. The Kremlin declined to comment.

The two suspects have been charged in Lithuania with intentionally causing minor injuries to Volkov's body for his belief, which could be punished with fines or prison sentences, Chief Prosecutor Vilnius Justas Laucius said.

"Currently, the accusations are that the crime was committed because of his belief (Volkov) and political activities," Laucius said at the same press conference in Vilnius.

"The suspects can be extradited to Lithuania in May," added Laucius.

The two suspects were previously recognized by Polish police and have traveled to Lithuania to carry out the attack, Briginas said.

Volkov himself blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the attack. Prior to the attack, he told Reuters, leaders of the exile Navalny movement feared their lives.

On Friday, Volkov thanked Lithuanian police for working "with great enthusiasm and persistentness" in this case.

"I'm very happy that this work is effective," he wrote on X.

"Okay, we'll know the details soon. Can't wait to find out!" he continued.

Laucius said he did not know whether the detainees had anything to do with a Polish citizen who was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of planning to cooperate with Russia's foreign intelligence agency for a possible assassination attempt against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.