(NewsReady.com) – There aren’t very many people willing to openly challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin for fear that they will be targeted. Alexei Navalny was one of his fiercest foes, and he spent a lot of time in and out of jail for his protests and attempts to unseat Putin as the country’s leader. In 2021, he was arrested on charges of fraud and extremism and later sentenced to approximately 30 years in jail in two separate trials. Last week, he died in custody, and his loved ones had to do a lot of running around to find his body.
Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service announced Navalny’s death on Friday, February 16. They claim the 47-year-old died after falling ill and losing consciousness following a walk. Attempts to resuscitate him failed. In the aftermath, there seemed to be confusion about where his body was, and his family expressed frustration with the process. Allies went so far as to accuse the Kremlin of engaging in a cover-up. Many accused Putin of eliminating a real threat to his rule.
Lyudmila Navalnaya, Navalny’s mother, traveled with his attorney to the IK-3 penal colony, where he was serving out his time and where he died. They had been trying to track down his body and were told by prison officials that they couldn’t have it until an investigation was completed.
Later, his remains were found in a nearby morgue, and he had bruising around his head and chest. An anonymous paramedic said the marks were consistent with someone being held down during a seizure. The paramedic also said that Navalny’s body was “taken to the clinical hospital” instead of the Bureau of Forensic Medicine “for some reason,” according to Fox News.
Officials say Navalny died of “sudden death syndrome,” which isn’t a bona fide medical diagnosis but rather a generic term for someone who dies without explanation.
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