18 February 2024 , 11:46
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Alexei Navalny's body has reportedly been found, covered in bruises, fuelling fears that Vladimir Putin had him killed.
On Friday, Russia's prison service announced that the activist who had once been Putin's main political opponent had died in prison. Western leaders immediately pointed the finger of responsibility at the Kremlin leader whose enemies have a habit of vanishing, ending up in prison, or dying.
Navalny was a vital part of Russia's fledgling pro-democracy movement before an almost fatal poison attack on him in Germany. Following this he returned to Russia where he was promptly arrested on what he warned were falsified charges.
The 47-year-old was thrown into a penal colony where he died. But in the immediate aftermath, Russian authorities refused to turn over his body to his family - fuelling warnings from his team that the Kremlin had had Navalny killed and were scrambling to cover up their tracks.
But now, paramedics in Salekhard, close to the Arctic jail where Navalny died, said they found a collection of bruises on his body. This, The Sun reported, they claimed was: "Such damage occurs from convulsions. The person is convulsing, they are trying to restrain him, but the convulsions can be very strong, and that’s why bruises appear."
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The paramedic continued: "They still tried to resuscitate him, and he died, most likely, from cardiac arrest. But why this stop happened, no one is saying anything yet."
Navalny rose to prominence as a fierce critic of Putin who became his main political opponent (AFP via Getty Images)But Navalny's team have been clear they suspect his death was engineered, and Kira Yarmysh, a spokeswoman for Navalny, said that his body had vanished. When Navalny's mum went to collect it, the morgue said it wasn't there. It was eventually revealed to have been with held by Russian authorities who suddenly wanted to carry out a post-mortem - but lawyers were informed such investigations had already finished.
Ms Yarmysh said: "Alexei's lawyer and his mother have arrived at the Salekhard morgue. It's closed, however, the colony has assured them it's working and Navalny's body is there. The lawyer called the phone number which was on the door. He was told he was the seventh caller today. Alexey's body is not in the morgue.
The last time Navalny was seen he was in good spirits and made his jailer laugh (SotaMedia/e2w)"Another of Navalny's lawyers, who went to Salekhard's Investigative Committee, was told that the cause of Alexei's death has not yet been established, a new histological examination has been carried out. The results will supposedly be available next week. It’s obvious that they are lying and doing everything they can to avoid handing over the body.
"Now the Investigation Committee says directly that Alexei's body will not be handed over to his relatives until the investigation is complete. An hour ago, the lawyers were told that the check was completed and no crime had been found. They literally lie every time, drive in circles and cover their tracks."
Police officers detain a woman who laid flowers to Alexei Navalny at the Memorial to Victims of Political Repression in St. Petersburg (AP)Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation, said the family were told his cause of death was Sudden Death Syndrome, but any attempt to see the body was being stonewalled. On Friday, the Russian prison service claimed that Navalny became unwell after a walk and lost consciousness. An ambulance arrived but he died despite attempts to resuscitate him.
Hours after Navalny's death was reported, his widow Yulia Navalnaya made an appearance in Munich. "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," she said.
Navalny with his wife Yulia at one of his rallies in Moscow back in 2013 (AP)Navalny was seen just one day before it was announced he had died, seemingly in good spirits as he made his jailers laugh. Britain has joined other western countries in condemning the Kremlin after Russia’s federal prison service said in a statement that the 47-year-old politician and anti-corruption campaigner had died. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron warned of "consequences" for the death of Navalny.
Protests and gatherings took place around the world after news emerged of the death of the jailed Russian opposition leader and footage emerged from within Russia of tributes to Navalny being destroyed. In London, Lord Cameron summoned diplomats at the Russian Embassy and called for Mr Navalny’s death to be "investigated fully and transparently".
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer gave his backing to the Government, telling Sky News: "Russia has to be held to account on this. The Government is right about that. It is a reminder of the constant threat of Russia. It’s one of the reasons I’m here at the Munich Security Conference to be clear about the priorities and the challenges that I see as Labour leader."
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