The demise of Alexei Navalny has been confirmed by his spokesperson, nevertheless it stays unclear the place the physique of the Vladimir Putin critic is.
Spokesperson Kira Yarmysh mentioned in a publish on X essentially the most distinguished face of the Russian opposition to Mr Putin was “murdered” at a distant Arctic penal colony.
She mentioned Mr Navalny’s mom, Lyudmila Navalnaya, was knowledgeable by authorities that her son had died on 16 February at 2.17pm, native time.
Russia-Ukraine newest: Follow reside updates
Prominent Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov added that jail officers advised Mr Navalny’s mom that he had died as a result of “sudden death syndrome”.
But the physique of the 47-year-old has not but been situated or launched by authorities.
Mr Navalny’s mom was advised by a jail official that her son’s physique was taken to the close by metropolis of Salekhard as a part of a probe into his demise, Ms Yarmysh mentioned.
But once they arrived on the morgue, it was closed, and employees mentioned the physique was not there.
Hours later, Ms Yarmysh mentioned legal professionals for the politician had been advised Mr Navalny’s physique wouldn’t be handed over to his kin till an investigation into his demise had been accomplished.
She accused the Investigation Committee in Salekhard of “driving us around in circles and covering their tracks” as solely hours earlier than they had been advised the investigation had already been concluded, and nothing felony had been established.
Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service reported on Friday that Mr Navalny felt sick after a stroll and have become unconscious on the penal colony within the city of Kharp, within the Yamalo-Nenets area, which is throughout the Arctic Circle.
More than 340 detained in Russia
Meanwhile, greater than 340 folks have been arrested in Russia because the second Mr Navalny’s demise grew to become public, in response to impartial human rights organisation, OVD-Info.
This included 230 folks throughout a number of cities who had been detained on Saturday.
OVD-Info mentioned others had been detained the day earlier than once they got here to put flowers in reminiscence of Mr Navalny.
Read extra:
Police in Russia crack down on protests
Russia ‘outmatched’ by Ukraine’s allies
Ukraine’s military chief says forces have pulled out of frontline metropolis
Among the arrested included a priest who went to a memorial in St Petersburg to conduct a service within the politician’s reminiscence.
In Moscow, social media footage confirmed a big group of individuals chanting “shame” as police dragged a screaming lady from the gang.
Putin ‘ought to be held accountable’
Hours after Mr Navalny’s demise was reported, his spouse, Yulia Navalnaya, made a dramatic look at a safety convention in Germany the place many world leaders had gathered.
She mentioned that she was uncertain if she might consider the information from official Russian sources, “but if this is true, I want Putin and everyone around Putin, Putin’s friends, his government to know that they will bear responsibility for what they did to our country, to my family and to my husband”.
Reacting, Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer mentioned he was “moved” by Mrs Navalnaya’s phrases, including that Russia must be held to account.
It got here after the UK’s Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron mentioned: “We should hold Putin accountable for this. And no one should be in any doubt about the dreadful nature of Putin’s regime in Russia after what has just happened.”
Foreign ministers of the G7 – made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US – have known as on Russia to completely make clear the circumstances of Mr Navalny’s demise.
Source: information.sky.com”