The spokesperson for Alexei Navalny, Kira Yarmysh, publicly stated on Saturday that the Russian opposition leader had been “murdered”, demanding the immediate return of Navalny’s body to his family. Her statement came following the announcement of Navalny’s death by Russia’s state prison service, citing that he had lost consciousness and could not be resuscitated. He was serving a sentence at a penal colony located North of the Arctic Circle.
According to Yarmysh, the Investigative Committee is inspecting Navalny’s body and had informed the family that it will not be handed over until checks are completed. The body has since been moved from the penal colony to Salekhard for these checks to take place. Yarmysh also noted that one of Navalny’s attorneys was informed that the cause of his death was yet to be determined.
In an attempt to claim Navalny’s body, his lawyers and mother traveled to Salekhard’s morgue where they found his body was not actually present. These circumstances have sparked further doubt regarding the circumstances around Navalny’s death.
Navalny, a prominent figure opposing the Russian government, was mourned by thousands who took to the streets to hold vigils following his death. He was previously convicted of fraud and contempt of court in 2022, resulting in a nine-year imprisonment sentence. This was extended to 19 years on numerous additional charges in 2023. In an earlier statement on his personal social media page, Navalny shared that he had been segregated in a punishment cell for the fourth time in two months shortly before his demise.
Previously in 2020, Navalny survived an assassination attempt by poisoning, which many interpreted as an act ordered by the Kremlin. Following his return to Russia after receiving medical treatment in Germany, he faced multiple charges, culminating in his incarceration.
The Russian authorities were taken to the European Court of Human Rights for their failure and refusal to investigate plausible allegations of wrongdoing in the events surrounding the assassination attempt on his life. The judgement of this case was reached in June 2023, reinforcing the international policy that states have a duty of care to those under their custody. International law stands to demand this obligation from all nations.
Further details of this ongoing investigation into Navalny’s death are awaited at this time. Read More