The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) calls on the Russian authorities to launch an immediate and credible investigation into the circumstances in which Alexei Navalny died, and to allow Navalny’s representatives full access to it, IPN reports.
In a press release, ODIHR calls on the Russian Federation to respect its obligation to ensure the health and welfare of all those in custody, and reminds the authorities that all OSCE states have committed to respect the rights of prisoners. They have also committed to guarantee the right to a fair trial and the independence of the judiciary. In particular, states have committed to guaranteeing a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law. “I am deeply saddened by the news of Alexei Navalny’s death,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci.
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said she was profoundly dismayed and outraged by the news of the sudden death of prominent Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison. According to her, the Russian authorities must conduct an immediate and thorough investigation and make the findings available to the public in line with their international obligations.
At the Munich Security Conference, Alexei Navany’s wife Iulia Navalnaya said she didn’t know whether to believe in her husband’s death or not. “If it’s the truth, I would like Putin, all his staff, everyone around him, his government, his friends, I want them to know that they will be punished for what they have done with our country, with my family, and with my husband. They will be brought to justice.” “I want Putin and his entire circle know that they’ll bear responsibility for what they did with our country and my family and my husband,” she said. “And this day will come very soon.”
In footage for a documentary shot in 2022, Alexei Navalny told Russians that if he was killed or died in prison, not to give up, and his death would demonstrate how powerful those who oppose Putin’s regime actually are. “You’re not allowed to give up. If they decide to kill me, it means we are extremely strong,” he said.
Alexei Navalny’s last tweet, published on his X/Twitter account on February 14, said he had been sent to prison for another 15 days, the fourth time in less than two months. He noted that prison bosses were trying to break the “record of flattery” with President Vladimir Putin.
More than 100 people have been detained in Russian cities at rallies in memory of Alexei Navalny, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar and Nizhny Novgorod, according to meduza.io rod. In Nizhny Novgorod, the demonstration place in front of the building of the municipal department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Law enforcement officers detained 12 people. They were subsequently released without trial. In St. Petersburg, the police dispersed those who came to the monument to victims of political repression on the Voskresensskaya embankment. At least 20 people were detained. Arrests were also made in Moscow. Among those detained was RusNews journalist Yulia Petrova. After a while, the police released her. One of the detainees, Maxim Sokolov, was beaten during his arrest, his girlfriend said. The SOTA Telegram channel published a video of Sokolov’s brutal detention. In Cheboksary, the police detained Konstantin Ishutov, administrator of the Telegram channel “Chuvashia without censorship”, who laid flowers at the memorial to Alexei Navalny.
Authorities in the Russian Federation on February 16 announced the death of Alexei Navalny in a penitentiary of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said he reportedly felt unwell after a walk. “Medical workers from the institution immediately arrived and an emergency medical team was called. All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, which did not yield positive results. Ambulance doctors stated the death of the convict,” the prison service said in a statement.
