MOSCOW, Russia – The death of opposition activist Alexei Navalny has sparked outrage and accusations of state-sponsored murder as police crackdown on memorials and arrests of supporters. Navalny’s allies have accused Russian authorities of covering up his death and giving contradictory information about the cause and whereabouts of his body, causing suspicion and anger among the opposition.
Navalny, 47, was the most prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and had been jailed after returning to Russia from Germany, where he received treatment for nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on Putin. His death has devastated his allies and other opposition members, who have vowed to keep challenging Putin’s regime.
Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, stated that officials had given Navalny’s mother inconsistent information about his death and the location of his body, describing it as a stalling tactic. The telegram from the penal colony in Kharp stated that Navalny had died from “sudden death syndrome” at 2:17pm local time on Friday, but the prison and the morgue in Salekhard both claimed they did not have the body.
While western leaders and Navalny’s supporters have accused Putin of being responsible for Navalny’s death, the Russian police have cracked down on spontaneous memorials across the country, arresting hundreds of people and removing flowers laid the night before. More than 400 people have been arrested at memorials across Russia since Navalny’s death, according to independent rights monitor OVD-Info.
The G7 group of major industrialized economies held a minute’s silence for Navalny at the start of a meeting at the Munich Security Conference, showing global support for the opposition activist. In Russia, the crackdown on memorials continued, with police in Moscow being noticeably more hostile to protesters and arresting those who held signs or chanted slogans.
The death of Navalny has left his supporters and allies devastated, but they remain determined to continue their fight against Putin’s regime. Amidst the grief, there is a firm resolve to seek justice for Navalny and to carry on with their mission for a free Russia.