Yulia Navalnaya, wife of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being involved in her husband's death. In a video message on Monday, she vowed to continue his work, stating, "We know why Putin killed Alexei three days ago, we will tell you about it soon. But the main thing we can do for Alexei and for ourselves is to continue to fight. I will continue the work of Alexei Navalny, continue to fight for our country, and I urge you to stand next to me."
Navalny, a long-time Russian opposition politician and critic of the Kremlin and President Putin, died in prison at the age of 47 on Friday, according to the state prison service.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously denied any involvement in Navalny's death, stating that there were "no statements from doctors, no information from forensic experts, no final information from the Federal Penitentiary Service, no information about the causes of death."
Officials at a morgue in the Arctic city where Navalny's body is believed to be held refused on Monday morning to allow his elderly mother and lawyers in, according to Navalny's team. They also declined to confirm whether Navalny's body was there.
Russia's Investigative Committee, which often handles political cases, has informed Navalny's relatives that the examination of his death has been "extended," indicating that they will not hand over the body for now, according to Navalny's spokeswoman Kyra Yarmysh. Navalny's team believes that he was murdered and has accused Russian authorities of withholding his body to conceal evidence of how he died. "They lie, buy time for themselves, and do not even hide it," Yarmysh wrote. Navalnaya was expected to address a meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
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