Russian officers reveal Alexei Navalny’s explanation for loss of life

Alexei Navalny died from ‘sudden loss of life syndrome’ after collapsing on Friday, Russian investigators are alleged to have advised the opposition chief’s mom as she visited the brutal IK-3 Polar Wolf penal colony the place he was being held this morning.

Lyudmila Navalnaya was seen immediately travelling to the colony in northern Russia, the place she was advised her son died after coming back from a stroll at 14:17 native time on Friday. Navalny’s allies say they have been denied the chance to see the physique, which might stay with the authorities till an investigation was full.

Navalny’s lawyer, who arrived within the city of Salekhard with Navalny’s mom on Saturday, was allegedly advised by the jail that the physique was being held within the morgue. A contact on the morgue later denied the physique was there – leaving but extra query marks across the shock loss of life of considered one of Putin’s most fierce critics.

‘It’s apparent that the killers need to cowl their tracks and are due to this fact not handing over Alexei’s physique, hiding it even from his mom,’ his group stated in a put up on Telegram. 

The shock loss of life of Putin’s most fierce critic has sparked a wave of vigils and protests throughout Russia, prompting police to crack down with pressure and make 15 arrests in Moscow alone.

Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin was reported to have died in jail on Friday, based on Russia‘s jail company.

The Federal Prison Service stated in a press release that Navalny, 47, felt unwell after a stroll and ‘nearly instantly misplaced consciousness’. Paramedics reportedly got here to attempt to rehabilitate him with out success.

Navalny, who was serving a 19-year sentence on prices of ‘extremism’, had solely not too long ago been moved from his former jail within the Vladimir area of central Russia to a grizzly ‘particular regime’ penal colony above the Arctic Circle.

His allies, a courageous minority in Russia preventing corruption, stated on the time they feared for his life after he ‘disappeared’ in December to journey to the distant area infamous for its lengthy and extreme winters – simply months earlier than the closely-watched Russian presidential elections subsequent month.

Navalny was final seen through video hyperlink throughout a courtroom listening to on Thursday.

Dressed in black jail uniform, he seemed to be in good spirits – his trademark humour again on present.

‘Your Honour, I’ll ship you my private account quantity as a way to use your enormous wage as a federal choose to ”heat up” my private account, as a result of I’m working out of cash,’ he stated.

State media reported he raised no well being complaints in the course of the session.

His mom stated she had seen her son within the jail colony on Monday. At the time, she stated: ‘He was alive, wholesome, cheerful.’

One of Navalny’s legal professionals, Leonid Solovyov, advised the impartial Novaya Gazeta paper that the Kremlin critic was ‘regular’ when a lawyer noticed him on Wednesday.

But the Federal Prison Service introduced his loss of life in a press release yesterday, saying that Navalny felt unwell after a stroll and misplaced consciousness. An ambulance arrived to attempt to save him, to no avail.

The sudden loss of life of the previous Anti-Corruption Foundation chief has provoked a robust response from supporters as far afield as Japan, Poland, Finland, Mumbai and San Francisco.

In a number of Russian cities, authorities have clamped down on protests and vigils, pictured dragging supporters away from makeshift memorials. Masked police have been seen taking away mourners at a monument for victims of Soviet repression in Moscow – with some 177 folks detained in Russia to this point.

Hundreds of flowers and dozens of candles might be seen on the monument for victims of Soviet repression in Moscow and extra flowers might be seen left within the snow on close by pavements.

‘Alexei Navalny’s loss of life is the worst factor that might occur to Russia,’ learn a word left among the many flowers and Navalny pictures by the monument.

Authorities within the Russian capital stated Friday they have been conscious of calls on-line ‘to participate in a mass rally within the centre of Moscow’ and warned folks in opposition to attending.

‘We is not going to neglect, we is not going to forgive. Those accountable might be punished!’ the word stated. 

Police officers have been additionally seen standing close to an analogous monument to political prisoners in St. Petersburg immediately. 

Protests are unlawful in Russia underneath strict anti-dissent legal guidelines, and authorities have clamped down notably harshly on rallies in help of Navalny. 

Earlier immediately, Volodymyr Zelensky issued a chilling warning to critics of Putin’s regime on the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

‘Putin kills whoever he needs,’ the Ukrainian President stated this morning. ‘Be it an opposition chief or anybody else who seems as a goal to him. He maintains energy by way of corruption and violence.’

‘Putin has murdered one other opposition chief,’ Zelensky stated outright. The Kremlin has denied involvement in Navalny’s loss of life.

Zelensky spoke on the necessity to repel Putin’s advances east and depose him – as Russia prepares for its closely-watched presidential elections subsequent month.  

He warned Saturday that his nation’s battle to repel Russian troops was being held again by a scarcity of long-range weapons and artillery shells.

‘Keeping Ukraine within the synthetic deficits of weapons, notably in deficit of artillery and long-range capabilities, permits Putin to adapt to the present depth of the conflict,’ he advised the Munich Security Conference.

‘We have ruined the parable that Russian weapons are higher than Western ones – that’s the reason for the primary time in Russian historical past Putin bowed to Iran and North Korea for assist,’ he stated.

‘Russia has just one particular navy benefit presently – specifically the whole devaluation of human life. Constant Russian meat assaults show this. International tolerance of the dearth of rule of legislation in Russia since 1991 and Putin’s coverage of managed poverty has led to the impact that human life is nugatory for Russian state.

Speaking forward of the two-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky stated: ‘[Putin] has simply yesterday he tried to ship us all a transparent message because the Munich Security Conference opened, Putin murdered one other opposition chief.

‘So please, let’s not concern Putin’s defeat and the destruction of his regime. Let’s as a substitute work collectively to destroy what he stands for. It is his destiny to lose, not the destiny of the foundations primarily based world order to fade.’

He advised attendees: ‘Do not ask Ukraine when the conflict will finish. Ask yourselves why Putin continues to be capable of proceed it.’

He went on: ‘Putin now brazenly justifies Hitler absolving him of accountability of World War II and he makes the genocide of our folks simply the conventional a part of coverage.’

‘After the homicide of Alexei Navalny it’s absolute to pursue Putin because the reputable head of the Russian state. He is a thug who maintains energy by way of corruption and violence

‘Putin solely has two choices forward, to be within the dock within the Hague or to be killed by considered one of his accomplices who are actually killing for him.’

Zelensky shouldn’t be alone in accusing Russia of slaying the previous lawyer. 

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Saturday stated Navalny’s ‘heroic opposition to Putin’s repressive and unjust regime impressed the world’.

‘We maintain the Russian Government solely liable for his remedy and loss of life in jail,’ Wong stated in a put up on X, previously Twitter.

US President Joe Biden was equally blunt, saying: ‘Make no mistake, Putin is liable for Navalny’s loss of life’.

Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov added: ‘Alexei Navalny was tortured and tormented for 3 years… Murder was added to Alexei Navalny’s sentence’.

Russian investigative reporter Maria Pevchikh wrote on X: ‘Navalny was killed. It’s not very clear the right way to dwell additional, however we will certainly provide you with one thing collectively. 

‘Alexey will dwell without end in hundreds of thousands of hearts, in our ideas and recollections. Otherwise, why are we would have liked? 

‘The murderers might be punished. Inevitably. We will not forgive anybody.’

Lord David Cameron signalled that there could be ‘penalties’ within the wake of the loss of life of jailed Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny.

Speaking to broadcasters on the Munich Security Conference, the Foreign Secretary stated: ‘Reflecting in a single day makes you assume what an extremely courageous man this was. His life revealed a lot in regards to the true nature of (Vladimir) Putin’s ghastly regime. And his loss of life has revealed that once more.

‘There must be penalties. When appalling human rights outrages like this happen, what we do is we have a look at whether or not there are particular person folks which are accountable and whether or not there are particular person measures and actions we are able to take. We do not announce them prematurely, so I can not say anymore than that. But that’s what we might be .

‘Of course we’ve got already summoned the ambassador and made clear our views about this dreadful occasion and the best way this particular person was handled.’

He stated he could be assembly with G7 international ministers on the German gathering: ‘I’m clear that we are going to be taking motion and I’d urge others do to the identical.’