Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny attends a rally in support of political prisoners on Prospekt Sakharova Street in Moscow, Russia on September 29, 2019.
Sefa Karacan | Anadolu | Getty Images
The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that an investigation into the death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is ongoing and insisted that “all appropriate steps are being taken” to determine the circumstances of his death.
Navalny, 47, was a well-known figure in Russia and an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He died in an Arctic penal colony, where he was serving a 19-year sentence.
World leaders reacted with dismay and suspicion to the news, with Navalny’s allies saying the anti-corruption activist was likely killed on Putin’s orders. The Kremlin has rejected these claims, with the Russian Foreign Ministry calling the reaction of political leaders “self-exposed” given that no forensic examination has yet been made available.
“The investigation is underway, all appropriate actions are being taken. However, so far no results of this investigation have been published, they are not yet known,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday at a daily news briefing, according to NBC. News translation.
“When there is no information, we find it completely unacceptable to make such statements, which are very rude and gross, to be honest,” he added, referring to comments by political leaders blaming Putin for Navalny’s death.
US President Joe Biden said on Friday that “Putin is responsible” for Navalny’s death. “Make no mistake: Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death… What happened to Navalny is yet another proof of Putin’s brutality.”
Asked if the Kremlin was interested in a proper investigation into Navalny’s death, Peskov replied: “The actions provided for by Russian law are being taken.”
“Literally pushed away”
Earlier Monday, Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Jarmis he said that Navalny’s mother and lawyers had been barred from entering a morgue where his body could be kept.
Yarmysh told social media platform X that one of Navalny’s lawyers was “literally kicked out” and staff refused to answer questions about the whereabouts of his body.
CNBC could not independently verify the report. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in blocking the return of Navalny’s body to his relatives.
“This is not an issue for us, we are not involved in this issue. This is not a function of the President’s administration,” Peskov said.
Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s wife, said Monday that she believed her husband was killed by Putin. In a video statement published on Navalny’s YouTube channel, Navalny vowed to continue his work and invited others to join her.
Navalny, who has been behind bars in Russia since 2021, has produced numerous reports on the corruption that flourished under Putin’s leadership.
Putin is known to have a long tradition of refusing to mention Navalny by name in public – a decision the Kremlin has previously said stemmed from the president’s views on the critic.
Navalny had sought to challenge Putin for Russia’s presidency, but his candidacy was ruled out in 2018. Putin will run for president once again next month, in an election where he faces only token opposition.