MOSCOW, Russia – The family of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny is facing additional anguish as they have reportedly been denied access to his body, and informed by investigators that the official probe into his death is being extended. It remains uncertain how long this process will continue.
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the fierce Kremlin critic, accused Russian authorities of cowardly and meanly hiding his body, refusing to release it to his mother. She referred to the Russian authorities as “lying miserably” and accused them of waiting for the traces of another Putin’s Novichok to disappear, alluding to a poison allegedly used by Russian security services in previous politically motivated assassination attempts.
Navalnaya urged Russians to share not only in the grief and endless pain that has enveloped and gripped them, but also her rage. She vowed to continue her husband’s mission to reveal Putin’s alleged misdeeds and end his long reign of power over Russia.
The late opposition leader’s allies and supporters have accused Russian officials of lying and “playing for time” as authorities crack down on tributes to the dissident. People laid flowers at Moscow’s Solovetsky Stone in memory of Navalny, a monument to victims of political repression. However, these tributes, along with others left across the nation, were quickly removed as hundreds of people who publicly honored Navalny have been arrested.
Russia analyst Jeff Hawn highlighted the deep mourning among the supporters of Navalny, emphasizing that many believe they’ve lost hope, as Navalny was able to bring together a broad coalition of people who wanted a more normal country.
Navalny was last seen alive just one day before his death, appearing remotely from prison for a court appearance. Despite appearing healthy and in good spirits, he suddenly fell ill during a walk at the prison and could not be revived by medics. His supporters, along with President Biden and other world leaders, have placed responsibility for his demise on Putin.
After years of exposing corruption in the Russian state and surviving poisoning attempts, Navalny’s death has prompted world leaders to vow accountability. However, with Russians gearing up to go to the polls and Putin likely to secure another term, any form of accountability seems distant at this time.