Russian President Vladimir Putin did not see the video in which Alexei Navalny’s widow vowed to continue his fight against the Kremlin, his spokesperson said Tuesday, and dismissed her allegations that Putin had killed the country’s opposition leader as “unfounded” and “insolent.”
Yulia Navalnaya’s Accusations
In the video released Monday, Yulia Navalnaya accused Putin of killing her husband in the remote Arctic prison and alleged that officials’s refusal to hand over his body to his mother was part of a cover-up.
“They are cowardly and meanly hiding his body, refusing to give it to his mother and lying miserably while waiting for the trace of” poison to disappear, Navalnaya said. She suggested her husband might have been killed with a Novichok-style nerve agent.
Kremlin’s Response
“These are absolutely unfounded, insolent accusations about the head of the Russian state,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The Aftermath
Navalny’s death has deprived the Russian opposition of its most well-known and inspiring politician less than a month before an election that is all but certain to give Putin another six years in power. It dealt a devastating blow to many Russians, who had seen Navalny as a rare hope for political change amid Putin’s unrelenting crackdown on the opposition.
The Tragic Death of Alexei Navalny
Alexei Navalny, aged 47, had been imprisoned since January 2021. He returned to Moscow after receiving treatment in Germany for a nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin. Despite facing three prison terms on what he deemed politically motivated charges, Navalny remained a prominent figure in Russian opposition.
International Demand for Investigation
Following Navalny’s death, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, called for an international investigation. However, the Kremlin, through Peskov, rejected any such demands for investigation into Navalny’s death.
Tribute and Detentions
Requests for Remains
More than 50,000 people have requested the Russian government to hand over Navalny’s remains to his relatives. This ongoing demand highlights the impact of Navalny’s activism and the significance of his legacy.
Continuing the Fight
In a poignant video statement, Navalny’s widow, Navalnaya, expressed her grief at losing her husband. She declared her commitment to carry on the work of Alexei Navalny, stating, “By killing Alexei, Putin killed half of me, half of my heart, and half of my soul. But I still have the other half, and it tells me that I have no right to give up.”
Navalnaya’s words reflect a determination to honor Navalny’s memory and continue advocating for change in Russia.