Spokesperson Navalny: “I think I will undergo some kind of chemical test.”
Denial of access to mother and lawyer… Kremlin: “It’s not our responsibility”
The body of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died suddenly in prison, is unlikely to be handed over to his family for at least another two weeks, his spokesman predicted on the 19th (local time).
According to CNN, Navalny’s spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said on He added that during this time Navalny’s body would undergo “some kind of chemical testing.”
Navalny lost consciousness and died on the 16th after a walk at the infamous Siberian Yayo-Nenets Prison No. 3, where he was imprisoned. His body is said to be placed in the morgue of Salekhard Clinical Hospital in Siberia.
“I don’t know how much longer it will last,” Yarmisi said. “The cause of death is still not determined,” he criticized, adding, “They are lying, wasting time, and not even hiding it.”
Russian authorities have denied the family and lawyer access to the hospital morgue where Navalny’s body is believed to have been kept, and have not clearly confirmed the whereabouts of the body.
“When Navalny’s mother and his lawyers arrived early this morning, they were not allowed into the morgue,” Yarmysh told “I asked if Navalny’s body was there, but they didn’t answer,” he said.
Although Yarmisi did not specify the location clearly, he appears to have been referring to the Salekhard Clinical Hospital morgue, which had already been denied access on the 17th, CNN added.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, claimed responsibility for Russian President Vladimir Putin and accused them of “cowardly and despicably hiding Navalny’s body.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to reporters’ inquiries on this day by saying, “We are not involved” in the issue of handing over Navalny’s body, “because that is not the responsibility of the Kremlin.”
Regarding the circumstances of the death, he said, “It is unknown because the investigation is ongoing,” and “There is nothing more to inform about this.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.