Yulia Navalnaya Challenges Kremlin's Narrative on Alexei Navalny's Death Anniversary

On the first anniversary of Alexei Navalny's death, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, accused Russian President Putin of suppressing the truth. Navalny, an opposition leader, was officially deemed dead from natural causes in a Siberian penal colony. The EU condemned Russia's repression and demanded the release of political prisoners.

As the one-year anniversary of Alexei Navalny's death approaches, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, has publicly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of attempting to conceal the truth surrounding her husband's death. According to reports, Navalny, once a pivotal opposition figure in Russian politics, was officially declared to have died of natural causes in an Arctic penal colony in February of the previous year.

Navalnaya expressed her gratitude to those who continue to honor Navalny's memory by visiting his grave in Moscow. She shared a heartfelt message, emphasizing the support she has received and the enduring fight against what she alleges is an attempt to erase Navalny's legacy. Her message, disseminated via a video, pointedly criticized President Putin for purportedly trying to erase Navalny's name from public consciousness.

The European Union has joined in the international outcry, releasing a statement assigning responsibility to President Putin and the Russian authorities for Navalny's death. The statement goes further, condemning Russia's ongoing domestic repression amid its aggression in Ukraine, and calling for the immediate release of Navalny's still-imprisoned lawyers as well as all political detainees.

(With inputs from agencies.)