Two days after his death in a nearby prison, authorities discovered the bruised body of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a morgue at an Arctic hospital, the Telegraph reported.
Navalny died following what officials described as a brief illness during an outdoor walk; however, the alleged marks of physical trauma on his body tell a different story.
“Such injuries, described by those that saw them, appear from seizures,” an anonymous source told Novaya Gazeta newspaper, according to the Telegraph. “The person convulses, they try to restrain him, and bruises appear. They also said that he also had a bruise on his chest. That is, they still tried to resuscitate him, and he died, most likely, from cardiac arrest.”
These revelations have only intensified the scrutiny surrounding the handling of Navalny’s final days, particularly given the notorious reputation of the prison where he was held, the Telegraph reported. Authorities from the Russian penal system announced the death of Navalny while he was serving his time at IK-3, a prison in the Russian Arctic known for its harsh conditions.
Navalny’s mother was reportedly unable to locate his remains at the Salekhard morgue Saturday, leading his associates at the Anti-Corruption Foundation to allege concealment by Russian officials, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Russia Threatens Facebook With Massive Fine Unless It Removes Banned Content)
Alexei Navalny’s body ‘is found and shows signs of bruising caused by being held down while suffering convulsions’ https://t.co/Zxby20vVFd pic.twitter.com/gc5asJVgDy
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) February 18, 2024
At the time of writing, an autopsy has not been conducted on the deceased, according to the outlet. Additionally, it was noted that two unexpected flights from Moscow arrived Saturday in Salekhard, speculated to be carrying experts in forensic pathology, according the outlet.
“The first jet landed at about six in the evening. It was met by cars of the Investigative Committee. And the second one arrived an hour and a half later,” Novaya Gazeta, citing an anonymous informant, stated, according to the Telegraph.
The response within Russia has also been chaotic, with large and spontaneous protests erupting nationwide, a rare occurrence, according to the outlet. This marked the largest series of protests against the government across the nation since September 2022, following President Vladimir Putin’s directive for a mobilization to enlist troops for the conflict in Ukraine, according to the outlet. Over 400 individuals have reportedly been detained for merely paying tribute to Navalny.
The responses of police units varied, with some obstructing entry to commemorative locations while others are dismantling them, according to the outlet. Reports are also circulating of plain-clothed security personnel tracking individuals who placed flowers at memorials, according to the outlet.