Alexei Navalny was reported dead by Russian authorities on Friday. Prison authorities disclosed that Navalny “felt unwell” after he took a walk, “almost immediately losing consciousness.” They claim medics were unable to save him. Many, including American government officials, believe that Putin has orchestrated the whole thing.
Alexei Navalny organized political demonstrations and worked to expose Russian corruption. Navalny was a Russian opposition leader and an activist for anti-corruption. He has publicly criticized the Russian government as well as exposed multiple corruption cases. Navalny encountered many legal challenges and was immediately detained and imprisoned in January of 2021. He survived a poison attempt in 2020, which is conspired to be organized by the Russian government. His efforts to expose the Russian government have gained support from people all around the world.
After his death, his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, made an appearance and stated, “I will continue the work of Alexei Navalny.”. She continued to say, “A free, peaceful, happy Russia, a beautiful Russia of the future, which my husband dreamed of so much… that’s what we need. I want to live in this Russia. I want our children to live in it. I want to build it with you.”. As Nayalnaya continued, you could hear her voice sporadically tremble. She continued on to blame Putin for the death of her husband. “Three days ago, Vladimir Putin killed my husband, Alexei Navalny. Putin killed my children’s father. Putin took away the dearest thing I have ever had.”
Just a day after her son’s death, Lyudmila Nayalnaya traveled to the Polar Wolf prison, which is located in the Yamalo-Nenets region. She was given a paper with his time of death, 2:17 p.m., but then prison officials claimed they did not have the body. When Lyudmila and her lawyer were demanding the body be returned, they were denied again. The Russian Investigative Committee told her his body would be kept for 14 more days to undergo some sort of ‘chemical examination.’ World leaders, including President Biden, are also saying that Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death. Many fear that the cause of death will never be found. Navalny’s press secretary, Kira Yarmysh, accused officials from the Russian Investigative Committee of stalling. Even though Navalny’s family was already informed he passed from “sudden death syndrome,” the Investigative Committee is now claiming the cause of death is unknown. Putin has not yet made a comment on Navalny’s death, and many have doubts that he ever will. The investigation is still ongoing, but not much more has been made public yet.
