Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, has claimed that he was killed by poisoning while serving a prison sentence in an Arctic penal colony in 2024. In a video posted on social media, Navalnaya stated that biological samples smuggled from Navalny’s body were analyzed by laboratories in two countries, which concluded that he had been “murdered.” Although she did not specify the type of poison or details about the samples or analyses, she called on the laboratories to release their findings.
Alexei Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption activist and opposition leader in Russia, died in custody on February 16, 2024, at the age of 47. He had previously survived a poisoning attempt in 2020 involving a Novichok nerve agent and was arrested upon returning to Russia from recovery. At the time of his death, he was incarcerated on what many supporters described as politically motivated charges and had recently been transferred to the distant penal colony.
Navalnaya indicated that her husband’s associates had procured biological samples and emphasized that those laboratories refrain from disclosing their results due to “political considerations.” She expressed a moral obligation to seek justice for Navalny, stating that she would continue to pursue inquiries into his death despite potential pushback from authorities.
In her video, she recounted what she described as employee testimonies from the penal colony regarding Navalny’s final moments. According to her, he was taken for a walk, later fell ill, and suffered severe symptoms in his cell. There was reportedly a delay of 40 minutes before an ambulance was summoned, and prison authorities attributed Navalny’s death to a medical condition and arrhythmia.
The Kremlin has not publicly addressed Navalnaya’s allegations, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating he was unaware of her claims. Following Navalny’s death, which many view as a significant blow to the opposition movement in Russia, Yulia Navalnaya and her children reside abroad due to concerns for their safety. The crackdown on civil society has intensified in Russia, particularly since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, stifling any remaining opposition.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ye0x28vzqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss