Alexei Navalny’s Mother Unable to Recover His Body, Claims Close Aide
The sudden death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has sent shockwaves through the international community. Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila, has been unable to recover his body after his death in an Arctic jail, according to a close aide to the deceased activist. Kira Yarmysh, a member of Navalny’s team, revealed that his mother was informed that his body would only be released once a post-mortem examination had been completed. This delay has raised suspicions among Navalny’s supporters, who believe that he was murdered on the orders of President Vladimir Putin.
Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption campaigner and critic of Putin’s regime, was serving a three-decade sentence at the “Polar Wolf” penal colony in Kharp, located approximately 1,200 miles north of Moscow. His mother was reportedly told by the prison service that he died on Friday after collapsing and falling unconscious during a walk. However, Navalny’s team disputes this explanation and claims that he was a victim of foul play.
Navalny’s mother visited the colony on Saturday and received an official notice stating the time of death as 14:17 local time. Ivan Zhdanov, another ally of Navalny, revealed that she was told he died of “sudden death syndrome,” a vague term used to describe a condition that causes cardiac arrest without an apparent cause. When she arrived at the morgue in the town of Salekhard, near the prison complex, she found it closed. Prison officials informed her that an initial post-mortem examination was inconclusive and that a second examination would be necessary.
Navalny’s allies are convinced that his body is being deliberately withheld by Russian authorities in an attempt to cover up any evidence of foul play. They are demanding the immediate return of his body to his family. The international community has also expressed concern over Navalny’s death, with Western governments placing the blame on Russian authorities. Foreign ministers from the G7 group of rich countries have called on Russia to urgently clarify the circumstances surrounding Navalny’s death.
In response to the mounting pressure, Russia’s Foreign Ministry rejected what it called “biased and unrealistic” assessments made by British officials during a meeting on Saturday. President Putin has remained silent on the matter since the announcement of Navalny’s death. The Kremlin initially stated that it was aware of the situation and that the president had been informed.
Meanwhile, protests and vigils have erupted across Russia, resulting in the arrest of over 400 people, according to independent Russian human rights monitoring group OVD-Info. Arrests have taken place in 36 cities, with the largest numbers in Moscow and St Petersburg. In Moscow, police detained around 15 individuals who had laid flowers and lit candles at the “Wall of Grief” monument, dedicated to the victims of repression during the Soviet era. Protests have also been staged near Russian embassies in various countries.
The international community has united in paying tribute to Navalny, with G7 foreign ministers observing a minute’s silence at the Munich Security Conference. British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron stated that the UK would be “taking action” in response to the human rights outrages surrounding Navalny’s death. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was also present at the conference, described Putin as a “thug” and criticized the perception of him as the “legitimate head of a Russian state.” Navalny had been a vocal critic of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The circumstances surrounding Navalny’s death continue to raise questions and fuel speculation. As his mother fights to recover his body and seek answers, the international community watches closely, demanding justice and accountability for this tragic loss.