2024-02-17 22:23:35
Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden and G7 foreign ministers, held Putin responsible for the opponent’s death
Geoffroy Van der Hasselt/AFP) posters with portraits, flowers and candles displayed as part of an event in honor of Alexei Navalny
A Russia remained silent this Saturday, 17, in the face of the death of Alexei Navalny, opponent of the Kremlin, in prison. Those around him accuse the authorities of retaining his body to “cover their tracks”. Hundreds of Russians gathered in small gatherings to pay tribute to Navalny, despite the risk of arrest. Since Friday, 401 people have been arrested, according to human rights NGO OVD-Info. Navalny’s team says authorities are refusing to hand over the body to his mother, saying the cause of death has not yet been determined.
Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmish, accuses investigators of lying and avoiding handing over the body to cover up the method of murder. Navalny, convicted of “extremism”, was serving a 19-year sentence in a remote Arctic prison colony following widely criticized trials. Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained silent since the news was released, which took place a month before the presidential elections, which are expected to consolidate his power. Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden and G7 foreign ministers, expressed shock and held Putin responsible for Navalny’s death. China, an ally of the Kremlin, considered the matter an “internal Russian matter” and refrained from commenting. Brazil has not yet expressed itself.
While Russian authorities warn against any demonstrations, some Russians have laid flowers at memorials to political dissidents. In Moscow, at least 15 people were arrested, and more arrests followed later. Courts began handing down sentences to detainees, varying according to human rights organizations. Navalny, who did not complain about his health in previous court video conferences, continued to criticize Putin during his trials. His death leaves the Russian opposition without its main name, in a context of growing repression and international tensions.
*With information from AFP
#Navalnys #team #accuses #Russia #withholding #remains #cover #tracks