Team of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny verifies his demise, mother looking for his remains

MOSCOW, Russia — The spokesperson⁣ for⁣ Alexei ⁢Navalny, a ​prominent figure in the Russian opposition, confirmed on Saturday that Navalny had tragically passed away ‌at a remote Arctic penal colony. The spokesperson went on to⁤ claim that Navalny was ⁣”murdered,” but the‍ location of his body remains unknown as his loved ones desperately seek ​answers.

At the age of​ 47, Navalny’s untimely death has left a gaping hole in the Russian​ opposition, just weeks before an election that is expected⁢ to extend ​President Vladimir Putin’s​ reign for another six‍ years.

Despite the fact that neither Navalny, a staunch anti-corruption‌ advocate, nor other critics of ⁤the Kremlin were in a position to challenge Putin for the presidency, Navalny’s death is a devastating blow​ to those Russians who ⁤had placed their hopes for a brighter future on this⁤ seemingly⁢ tireless adversary of Putin. His‌ sudden death has ⁢also sparked questions about the cause. Russian officials informed Navalny’s team on Saturday that the cause of his death was still under investigation, with the results expected⁣ to be released next week, according to Navalny’s spokesperson,⁤ Kira‌ Yarmysh. Navalny’s mother was⁣ informed that the ​body would​ not be released ‍until the investigations were concluded, leading to speculation ‍that the ​Russian ⁢authorities may be ​attempting to conceal any evidence​ of foul⁤ play. “They’re leading us on​ a wild goose chase and covering their tracks,”​ Yarmysh stated.

Yarmysh revealed‌ that a note handed to ⁢Navalny’s mother⁣ stated that he died at 2:17 p.m.‍ on Friday. Prison⁢ officials informed his mother upon her arrival at ⁣the penal colony on Saturday that her son had succumbed to “sudden death syndrome,” according to Ivan Zhdanov, ⁢the director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, who posted ⁣the information on X, formerly⁣ known as Twitter.

Yarmysh also stated that a prison colony employee informed them that the body ‌had been transported to the nearby city of Salekhard for ⁢a post-mortem investigation. However, when Navalny’s mother and one of his lawyers visited the morgue‌ in Salekhard, they⁤ found it closed, according​ to a post⁣ on Navalny’s team’s Telegram channel. The ⁤lawyer called the morgue and was told‌ that the body⁢ was not there.

Another of Navalny’s lawyers visited Salekhard’s Investigative Committee and was ⁢told that the cause of Navalny’s death was still ⁢under investigation, with the results expected to be released next ⁣week. The Investigative Committee also informed Navalny’s team ⁢that‌ the body‌ would not‍ be released to his family ​until the ​investigations were concluded.

“It’s clear that they are lying and ‍doing everything in their power to avoid releasing the body,” Yarmysh posted on X,⁤ adding that his team demanded that Navalny’s body “be immediately released to ​his family.”

The Federal Penitentiary Service in Russia reported⁤ that ⁢Navalny fell ill ⁣after a walk on Friday and lost ​consciousness ⁢at⁣ the penal colony in the town of Kharp, in the Yamalo-Nenets region, approximately 1,200 miles⁤ northeast of Moscow. An ambulance was called, but they were unable to revive him. The service added that the‍ cause of death is still “being established.”

Maria⁣ Pevchikh, the head⁢ of the board of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, stated that the opposition leader would ​”live on forever in ⁢millions of‌ hearts.”

“Navalny was murdered. We still don’t know how we’ll continue living, but together, we’ll figure‍ something out,” she ​posted on X.

Meanwhile, arrests continued on Saturday as Russians gathered to lay flowers in memory of Navalny at memorials dedicated to the ⁣victims of Soviet-era‍ purges. OVD-Info, a group that⁢ monitors political⁤ repression in Russia, reported on Saturday that more than 273 people had been detained at memorial events since Navalny’s death.

Memorial items laid on Friday were⁣ removed overnight, but​ people continued⁣ to arrive with flowers on Saturday. In Moscow, a large crowd chanted ⁣”shame” as police forcibly removed a woman from the crowd, as seen​ in ‌a ⁤video shared on social ⁤media.

More than​ 10 people were detained⁤ at⁢ a memorial in St. Petersburg, including a priest⁣ who had come to conduct ‍a service ​for Navalny.

In other cities across the country, police cordoned off some of the ​memorials and officers were seen taking photographs of those who ‌came and recording their personal data in an apparent⁢ attempt at intimidation.

“After the murder of Alexei Navalny, it’s⁢ absurd to perceive Putin as the supposedly legitimate head of the Russian state,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ⁢stated at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday. “He ‌is a thug who maintains power through corruption and violence.”

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated‍ on Saturday that Britain “will be taking action” against the Russians responsible for Navalny’s​ death.

Speaking⁣ to broadcasters in Munich, Cameron stated that “there⁢ should be consequences” for “appalling human rights outrages like this.” He said Britain would “look at whether there are individual ⁢people that are responsible and whether there​ are individual measures and actions we can take.” Cameron did not ​specify whether the response would involve ⁢financial sanctions or other measures.

President Joe Biden stated on Friday that ⁣Washington doesn’t know exactly what happened,‌ “but‌ there is no doubt that the death of Navalny was⁢ a consequence of something Putin and his thugs did.”

The Kremlin ⁣reacted angrily on Friday to the outpouring of anger from world leaders, with Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry ⁣Peskov, describing the statements — issued before‍ medics ⁢have released the ⁣cause of Navalny’s death —‍ as “unacceptable” and “outrageous.”

Navalny had been imprisoned since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow after recovering in Germany from ⁤nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin.⁣ He was later convicted three times, claiming each case was politically⁤ motivated, and received a ⁢sentence of 19 years for extremism.

After the last verdict, Navalny⁢ stated that he understood ‍he was “serving a life sentence, which is measured by the length ‍of my​ life or the‍ length of‍ life of this regime.”

Nigel Gould-Davies, a former British ambassador to Belarus and senior fellow for Russia & Eurasia ⁢at the⁢ International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, stated that the loss of‌ Navalny shows that “the sentence in Russia now⁢ for ​opposition is not merely imprisonment, ⁤but death.”

Hours after the news of Navalny’s death was reported, his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, made ⁣a dramatic appearance at ⁣the Munich conference.

She stated that‌ she was unsure if she could believe​ the news 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.”