The demise of Russian opposition chief Alexey Navalny has been confirmed by his crew, along with his spokesperson saying the Kremlin critic “was murdered”.
Navalny died at 2:17pm (09:17 GMT) on February 16, in accordance with the discover given to his mom, spokesperson Kira Yarmysh wrote on X on Saturday within the first affirmation from his allies.
Yarmysh cited an worker of the “Polar Wolf” Arctic penal colony the place the 47-year-old was serving a 19-year sentence as saying his physique was picked up by investigators from Russia’s Investigative Committee and was now within the city of Salekhard.
“We demand that Alexey Navalny’s physique be handed over to his household instantly,” she mentioned.
Alexey Navalny was murdered. His demise occurred on February 16 at 2:17 p.m. native time, in accordance with the official message to Alexey’s mom.
An worker of the colony mentioned that the physique of Navalny is now in Salekhard. It was picked up by investigators from the IC. Now they’re…
— Кира Ярмыш (@Kira_Yarmysh) February 17, 2024
The city is close to the jail complicated the place the investigators have been conducting “analysis”, Yarmysh mentioned.
In a subsequent replace, Yarmysh mentioned Navalny’s lawyer had been knowledgeable that the reason for demise had not but been decided.
A second examination of Navalny’s physique has been made and the outcomes, “allegedly”, shall be accessible subsequent week, Yarmysh posted on X. “It’s apparent that they’re mendacity and doing every little thing they will to keep away from handing over the physique.”
Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Basis, wrote on X that Navalny’s mom had been advised by jail officers that her son had perished resulting from “sudden demise syndrome” when she arrived at his former penal colony Saturday with considered one of Navalny’s legal professionals.
The lawyer and Navalny’s mom, Lyudmila Navalnaya, went to the native morgue in Salekhard on Saturday, however it was closed and Navalny’s physique was not the place jail authorities mentioned it was being saved, his spokesperson added.
Alexey’s lawyer and his mom have arrived on the Salekhard morgue. It is closed, nonetheless, the colony has assured them it is working and Navalny’s physique is there. The lawyer known as the telephone quantity which was on the door. He was advised he was the seventh caller in the present day. Alexey’s physique is… pic.twitter.com/CsPbONUBrn
— Кира Ярмыш (@Kira_Yarmysh) February 17, 2024
In an replace, Yarmysh mentioned that the authorities is not going to hand over Navalny’s physique to his kin till the investigation is accomplished.
She subsequently added: “Solely an hour in the past, the legal professionals have been knowledgeable that the investigation had been concluded and that one thing legal had not been established.
“They actually lie each time, driving us round in circles and overlaying their tracks,” she wrote.
Russian authorities mentioned on Friday that Navalny fell unconscious and died after a stroll within the penal colony in Kharp, about 1,900km (1,200 miles) northeast of Moscow.
His demise – lower than a month earlier than an election that may give Putin one other six years in energy – has eliminated Putin of his biggest political foe who organised mass anti-Kremlin protests and crusaded towards corruption.
‘His legacy gained’t die’
Yarmysh mentioned in an interview that Navalny’s imaginative and prescient for change in Russia shall be saved alive by his crew.
“We misplaced our chief, however we didn’t lose our concepts and our beliefs”, Yarmysh advised Reuters by way of Zoom, talking from an undisclosed location.
Yarmysh, who had labored with Navalny for over a decade, mentioned he represented hope that Russia shall be “a correct democratic nation with truthful elections, with an impartial court docket, with free press… peaceable and rich nation”.
“After all everyone seems to be devastated,” she mentioned. “Alexey was an individual who resembled all these concepts and who was combating for them. So, I’m positive that his legacy gained’t die with him, and other people will return to those concepts.”
She mentioned the crew holds Putin answerable for what she known as Navalny’s homicide.
She didn’t present proof for this however pointed to an incident in 2020 when Navalny survived what Western medical doctors mentioned was a nerve agent poisoning try on his life.
Putin denied on the time that the Russian state had tried to kill Navalny, saying it could have “completed the job” if it had actually needed to remove him.
“We knew that there was a danger, Alexey knew it as properly. And yesterday they murdered him as they deliberate to do it three years in the past”, Yarmysh mentioned.
She known as on Western leaders to “put as a lot strain on (Putin) as attainable”, to hunt justice in response to Navalny’s demise and to not negotiate with Putin.
Russian police detained greater than 170 folks throughout the nation at memorials and rallies on Friday and Saturday that have been held to honour Navalny, in accordance with the OVD-Data protest monitoring group, which mentioned 99 folks have been taken into custody in Saint Petersburg alone.
Strict anti-dissident legal guidelines ban protests in Russia, and pro-Navalny rallies have been significantly hit by authorities previously.
World leaders have condemned the demise of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fierce critic.
United States President Joe Biden has mentioned “Putin is answerable for Navalny’s demise” whereas European Council President Charles Michel has mentioned the European Union “holds the Russian regime for sole answerable for this tragic demise”.
