The spokesperson for jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, Kira Yarmysh, demanded the immediate release of his body to his family, accusing Russian officials of deceit to delay the process. Navalny, a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, died at 47 after feeling unwell during a prison walk, with the cause of death yet undisclosed.
In her statement, Yarmysh revealed Navalny’s death time and urged for transparency. However, the exact location of Navalny’s body remained uncertain, leading to further distress for his family and legal team. Despite efforts to retrieve his body, they were met with bureaucratic hurdles and conflicting information from Russian authorities.
Navalny’s imprisonment stemmed from his activism and exposure of corruption within the Kremlin, posing a significant challenge to Putin’s authority.
His detention followed a poisoning incident in 2021 with the nerve agent Novichok, which he attributed to Russian authorities. Concerns for his safety heightened when he was relocated to a penal colony in Siberia.
Western leaders swiftly condemned Navalny’s death, with US President Joe Biden holding Putin accountable. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Putin’s legitimacy in light of Navalny’s demise. Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, called for justice, expressing anguish over her husband’s fate.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov maintained that medical professionals must ascertain the cause of Navalny’s death. Meanwhile, protests erupted across Russia, resulting in numerous detentions, as citizens mourned Navalny’s passing and demanded accountability.
