The head of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation said that Russian officials informed his mother that opposition leader Alexei Navalny had died from “sudden death syndrome” and that his remains would not be given to the family until an investigation was completed. This information was reported by The Hill on Sunday.
Russian jail authorities said on Friday that 47-year-old Navalny passed away in an Arctic correctional facility while serving a 19-year sentence for radicalism. He had just been transferred from another prison to this one, which is Russia’s top security establishment.
According to Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh on X, Lyudmila Navalnaya, the mother of the deceased, visited the prison on Saturday and was given an official death note stating her son’s time of death was 2:17 p.m. local time on Friday.
Yarmysh alleged that a colony employee had told him that Navalny’s body was picked up by investigators from a Russian intelligence organization and sent to Salekhard, a town located about thirty miles south of Kharp, where the prison is situated.
Yarmysh claimed that when Navalny’s mother and attorney visited the morgue over the weekend, it was closed.
Additionally, the lawyer was informed that Navalny’s body was missing when he called the number listed on the morgue’s door.
Yarmysh stated to Reuters, “We don’t have access to the body at this time, and we’re not positive where it is. We also insist that Alexei’s family receive his remains right away from the Russian government.”
Numerous global leaders have censured Moscow for Navalny’s demise and have placed direct responsibility on Russian President Vladimir Putin—a claim that the Kremlin refutes.
This report included information from Reuters and The Associated Press.