Russian authorities told the mother of Alexei Navalny on Saturday that her son died from “sudden death syndrome,” but none of Navalny’s allies have been allowed to see the body.
The chief critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin died unexpectedly Friday at a prison near the Arctic Circle. Prison authorities said Navalny took a walk outside and was not feeling well when he returned before he lost consciousness. He was declared dead on the scene.
“Alexey Navalny was murdered,” Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh posted to X early Saturday. “His death occurred on February 16 at 2:17 p.m. local time, according to the official message to Alexey’s mother.”
The man who runs Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation confirmed on X that Russian authorities said the cause of death was sudden death syndrome, but an investigation is still being conducted. Sudden death syndrome is an umbrella term for a collection of cardiac or other biological events that result in a person’s unexpected death.
Navalny’s family has demanded to see his body, but it is not clear where it is being held. The family said his body was not where they expected it to be in Salekhard, the closest town to the penal colony where Navalny was serving a 30-year sentence.
“Alexei’s lawyer and his mother have arrived at the Salekhard morgue,” Yarmysh wrote in another post. “It’s closed, however, the colony has assured them it’s working and Navalny’s body is there. The lawyer called the phone number which was on the door. He was told he was the seventh caller today. Alexei’s body is not in the morgue.”
Yarmysh also noted that Russian authorities told one of the lawyers that the initial exam was completed but that the cause of death had not been established. Another exam has been conducted, and the results are expected to be released next week.
An hour later, they claimed the second exam was complete.
“They literally lie every time, driving us around in circles and covering their tracks,” Yarmysh said on X. “It’s obvious that they are lying and doing everything they can to avoid handing over the body.”
Navalny’s team is not the only group suspecting foul play. World leaders have blamed Russia for the critic’s death. It is also not the first time Russia has been accused of lethally silencing rebels. Navalny himself has survived an alleged poison attempt by Putin’s people.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The news comes after hundreds of mourners were arrested for placing flowers and memorials in honor of Navalny across Russia on Saturday.
The opposition leader had spent years trying to weaken Putin’s hold on the Russian government, including helping launch protests against Putin in 2011 and 2012 through campaigning against election fraud and government corruption. He has also played a role in local and national elections to undermine Putin’s party.
