Alexei Navalny's latest death: 'Body of Putin critic seen in morgue' as family demands it be returned

The Kremlin may hope that his death will serve as a deterrent to those who manipulate opposition activity, but in fact it makes the Russian president's fiercest critic a hero and a martyr, writes Mary Dejewski.

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Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney warned of the “Putin wing” of the Republican Party after Donald Trump failed to criticize Russia following the death of Alexei Navalny.

“We have to take seriously how much of a Putin wing there is in the Republican Party now,” she told CNN. State of the Union program.

“I think the issue in this election cycle is making sure that the Putin wing of the Republican Party does not control the West Wing of the White House,” she added.

The former president has so far avoided any meaningful comment on the death of Navalny, who his allies say was murdered by the Russian state.

Trump pledged on social media to “bring peace, prosperity and stability” only if he gets another term in the White House.

Nikki Haley, Trump's rival for the Republican presidential nomination, criticized Trump for not taking a tougher approach with the Kremlin.

“Either he sides with Putin and thinks it's great that Putin killed one of his political opponents, or he doesn't think it's that big of a deal,” Haley told ABC News. this week.

“Either is a concern. Either is a problem.”

The Oscar-winning director of Navalny's documentary said he was “pleased and not surprised” by Alexei Navalny's wife's address to world leaders in Germany hours after her husband's death was reported.

Canadian Daniel Rohr became close to Navalny's family when he interviewed them before the Russian opposition leader was sent to prison in 2021, and he continued to stay in contact with them.

The director of the documentary told the PA news agency: “Yulia Navalnaya’s strength has been well documented, and we see it in her poise (and) grace, the kind of first lady who waits in a way that is easy on herself.

“I was delighted, not surprised, when I saw her… take that stage, to deliver a very moving two-minute speech, where for a brief moment she became the moral center of the universe.

“I don’t know how the political structure of the organization and Yulia will change in the next few weeks and months, but I do know that the family is emotional, energetic and perhaps now vindictive.”

He also said he had “no reason to be surprised” by Navalny's death, but was “shocked” to hear the news. Mr Rohr added: “Anyone who has followed Navalny’s story or watched the documentary on this matter knows how persistent this possibility is, but despite that, I recorded this as a shock.”

That Navalny died at the same time as world leaders were meeting at the Munich Security Conference does not appear to be a coincidence.

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But his death is only the latest in a long line of critics of Vladimir Putin who have been jailed, silenced or met brutal ends over the years. From poisonings, mysterious falls from windows and plane crashes, it appears that many of the Russian president's enemies have been targeted.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke on Sunday about Ukraine, Gaza, the Red Sea and the death of Alexei Navalny, a Downing Street spokesman said.

“The Prime Minister and President von der Leyen expressed their outrage over the death of Alexei Navalny and stressed the utmost importance of holding those responsible within the Russian regime accountable,” the spokesman said in a statement.

The statement said that Sunak and von der Leyen also condemned the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, adding that the Prime Minister briefed the President of the European Commission on his recent talks with the Israeli Prime Minister and the Jordanian King about the situation in Israel and Gaza. .

The wife of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic penal colony on Friday, will attend an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Sunday.

“On Monday, I will welcome Yulia Navalnaya to the EU Foreign Affairs Council. EU ministers will send a strong message of support to Russia's freedom fighters and honor the memory of Alexei Navalny,” Borrell said in a statement on X.

Courts in St. Petersburg ordered 42 of those arrested Friday to spend one to six days in prison while nine others were fined, court officials said late Saturday.

In Moscow, at least six people were sentenced to spend 15 days in prison, according to OVD-Info. The group said that one person was also imprisoned in the southern city of Krasnodar and two others in the city of Bryansk.

News of Navalny's death came a month before Russia's presidential elections, which are widely expected to give President Vladimir Putin another six years in power.

Questions remained about the cause of death, and it was not clear when the authorities would release Navalny's body. OVD-Info said on Sunday that more than 12,000 people had submitted requests to the Russian government demanding that the politician's remains be handed over to his relatives.