MOSCOW, Russia – Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, accused the Kremlin on Monday of hiding her husband’s body in an attempt to cover up his death in an Arctic penal colony. Navalnaya vowed to continue her late husband’s fight against President Vladimir Putin and called on Russians to rally around her in a lengthy video address.
Navalny’s team reported that his mother and lawyers were denied access to his body, and the probe into his cause of death had been extended. They were informed that his body was under “chemical examination” for another 14 days. In a nine-minute video posted to YouTube, Navalnaya declared, “Three days ago, Vladimir Putin killed my husband,” and suggested that authorities were waiting for traces of “yet another Putin’s Novichok” to leave his body – referencing the military nerve agent used to poison him years ago. The Kremlin has denied involvement in the previous poisoning and dismissed suggestions of Putin’s involvement in Navalny’s death on Friday.
Navalnaya promised to continue her husband’s efforts to secure a free Russia and stated, “The most important thing we can do for Alexei and for ourselves is to continue to fight.” She also vowed to uncover the truth behind his death, saying, “We will also definitely find out who exactly and how exactly this crime was committed. We will name names and show faces.”
Russia’s prison authorities claimed that Navalny died suddenly after collapsing following a walk in the remote “Polar Wolf” prison, sparking outrage and leading to international leaders pointing fingers at Putin. The official investigation into his death, however, has been called into question by Navalny’s supporters, as his mother and lawyers were denied access to the nearby morgue. The group was told that the probe into his cause of death had been extended, leaving them unsure about when they would be allowed access to Navalny’s body.
The drama surrounding the investigation into Navalny’s death continues, with his supporters accusing the authorities of buying time for themselves and not being transparent about the entire process. The loss of one of the Kremlin’s fiercest foes has left Russia’s scattered opposition reeling, and Navalnaya’s determination to continue her late husband’s work has only intensified the spotlight on Putin’s government.