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Authorities Attribute Navalny’s Death to Medical Issues Amidst Criticism
Explore the controversy surrounding the authorities’ claim that Alexei Navalny’s death resulted from medical issues, amidst widespread criticism and calls for accountability. Delve into the implications of this narrative on politics and human rights.
Authorities Blame Navalny’s Death on Medical Issues
The Russian government has attributed the death of Aleksei A. Navalny, the leading opposition figure in the country, to a series of medical conditions exacerbated by heart arrhythmia. This conclusion has been sharply criticized by his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, who labeled it as utterly absurd during a recorded statement released online on Thursday.
In her statement, Ms. Navalnaya revealed that she had received a three-page document from Russia’s Investigative Committee just last week. The document asserted that there was no basis for opening a criminal investigation into her husband’s untimely death in a remote Arctic prison. According to the report, a “combined illness” was responsible for his passing within a mere hour.
“Here’s a man under constant surveillance in prison, a globally recognized politician, the leader of the opposition, and suddenly he dies within an hour from a ‘combined illness,’” Ms. Navalnaya stated emphatically. She continued, “The report is a fabrication, and they are concealing the truth about what transpired that day.”
Ms. Navalnaya has called on the authorities to release the complete medical report and to return her husband’s personal belongings to the family. This includes his notebooks and the cross he wore at all times. She mentioned that the family has made repeated requests for these items, but was informed that they would have to wait until the Investigative Committee completed its report.
Expressing her skepticism regarding the official narrative, Ms. Navalnaya stated her belief that the true cause of her husband’s death was state-sponsored murder. She indicated that, given the lack of a credible official investigation—especially under the current leadership of President Vladimir V. Putin—the family would undertake their own inquiry, regardless of how long it might take.
In a pointed accusation, Yulia Navalnaya claimed that the Russian authorities had fabricated the diagnosis of arrhythmia to obscure the circumstances surrounding her husband’s death.
Credit: Lukas Barth/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images