On Saturday, Kira Yarmish, who is both a spokesperson and regular collaborator for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, confirmed that Navalny had died on the previous day, Friday, February 17. Yarmish described Navalny’s death as a “murder” and has demanded that his body be returned to his family.
According to Yarmish, Navalny’s death took place on February 16 at 2:17 p.m. This information was relayed in an official message from Navalny’s mother, as Yarmish shared in a statement that was published on X, a platform that was previously known as Twitter.
Yarmish also conveyed information from a worker at the penal colony where Navalny was held. The worker reported that Navalny’s body is currently in the city of Salekhard, having been transferred there by investigators from the Investigative Committee. These investigators are presently conducting an ‘investigation’ into Navalny’s death, according to Yarmish.
Alexey’s lawyer and his mother have arrived at the Salekhard morgue. 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. Alexey’s body is… pic.twitter.com/CsPbONUBrn
— Kira Yarmysh (@Kira_Yarmysh) February 17, 2024
Yarmish has insisted that Navalny’s body “be delivered to his family immediately.” She further revealed that Navalny’s mother and his lawyer have already arrived at the Salekhard mortuary, sharing this information in a message accompanied by a photograph of the building on platform X.
Despite the mortuary being closed, Yarmish explained that the penal colony has assured Navalny’s mother and lawyer that it is operational and that Navalny’s body is there. Navalny’s lawyer has called the phone number displayed on the door of the mortuary and was told that he was the seventh person to call that day. However, it was revealed that Navalny’s body is not currently in the morgue.
Another of Navalny’s collaborators, Ivan Zhdanov, has shared that an official at the prison where Navalny was held informed Navalny’s mother that the opposition leader died from a “sudden death syndrome.”
Contrarily, officials from the Investigative Committee, which serves as the Russian federal police, have communicated to Navalny’s lawyer that the cause of his death has not yet been determined, as Yarmish revealed in a subsequent message.
Yarmish has divulged that a “second histological examination” is underway, with results not expected until the following week. She has also expressed suspicions about the authorities, claiming that “it is evident that they are lying and doing everything they can not to hand over the body.”
Yarmish reported that the Investigative Committee has announced that they will not hand the body over to the family until the official examination is completed. She has accused the authorities of being deceptive and trying to obscure the truth, saying, “They are always lying, literally. Taking us in circles and covering their tracks.”
The Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian autonomous district of Yamalo-Nenets announced on Friday the death of Navalny. Navalny was serving a 19-year prison sentence for extremism, and the Penitentiary Service reported that he had “felt unwell during a walk” prior to his death.
