As of: February 19, 2024, 5:09 p.m
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After the death of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, his widow Yulia Navalnaya accuses President Putin of murder and wants to continue his fight.
Moscow - In an emotional declaration of war on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, the widow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a prison camp, has announced that her husband's opposition work will continue.
“I will continue Alexei Navalny's cause, fight for our country.
I call on you to stand by my side,” said Yulia Navalnaya in a stirring video message published on YouTube.
It remains unclear whether the 47-year-old economist wants to return to Russia for opposition work.
She would also risk prison camps there because the Navalny movement is classified as extremist.
She was in Brussels on a visit.
Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei Navalny's widow, addressed the world in a video message.
© Screenshot/X/@yulia_navalnaya
Navalny's widow wants to publish name of murderer – tortured to death
In the video, the mother of two tearfully accused Putin of not only killing her husband.
Putin also tried to deprive Russia of hope for freedom and justice.
That's why she now wants to continue her husband's fight.
In the video, which included many private pictures and recordings of Navalny's public appearances, she accused Putin of murdering her husband.
“Three days ago, Vladimir Putin killed my husband Alexei Navalny,” she said.
Her husband was tortured and tormented to death in the prison camp and repeatedly locked in solitary confinement in a small concrete box.
The name of the person who carried out the murder on behalf of Putin will be published shortly, she announced.
Navalnaya: Russia's regime hides Navalny's body
Now the regime is even hiding the 47-year-old's body, said Navalnaya, who attended the EU foreign ministers' meeting as a guest.
In their opinion, so that residues of the Novichok poison would no longer be detectable in an independent examination.
Germany and other EU states want to introduce further sanctions against Russia after the death of the Kremlin opponent.
A special EU sanctions instrument should be used to punish serious human rights violations, explained Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the start of the meeting in Brussels.
The Foreign Office in Berlin also summoned the Russian ambassador and demanded the release of all political prisoners in Russia.
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In the video, Navalnaya also showed a picture of the mother looking for her dead son in the polar region.
Putin took away her dearest and most valuable person, half of her soul and heart, said Navalnaya.
“But I have a second half - and it tells me that I have no right to give up.” She will therefore, like her husband, fight against injustice and corruption and for a free Russia.
Video message from Yulia Navalnaya: “I’m not afraid”
“I’m not afraid,” she said, also referring to a statement by Navalny, who had repeatedly called on people in Russia to resist Putin.
Those who seek to erase Russia's future should be pursued with anger and hatred.
According to authorities, Navalny died on Friday in the prison camp with the unofficial name “Polar Wolf”.
Accordingly, after many days in repeated solitary confinement, the physically weakened Navalny collapsed while walking in the yard in the camp north of the Arctic Circle in freezing temperatures.
According to the prison service, attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful.
Kremlin: Investigation into Navalny's cause of death continues
According to the Kremlin, the investigation into the circumstances of Navalny's death is still ongoing.
“So far, the results of this investigation have not been published and are therefore not known,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
Navalny's team accuses the Kremlin, as in the 2020 attack with the nerve agent Novichok, of lying and stalling tactics in order to conceal the background to the fate of Putin's opponent.
Regarding the return of the body demanded by the relatives, Peskov said that it was not part of the duties of the presidential office.
However, the Kremlin's powers in Russia are considered unlimited.
After the poison attack on Navalny in 2020, Putin said he personally gave permission for the Russian opposition leader to be flown to Berlin for treatment at the Charité.
He was complying with a request from his wife.
Kremlin spokesman rejects allegations - Putin remains silent about Navalny's death
According to Interfax, Peskov did not comment on the question of how Putin reacted to the death of his most important opponent.
The Kremlin chief, who is blamed for the death by Navalny's team but also by Western governments, has not yet commented publicly on the case.
According to media reports, there was a concert in Moscow at the weekend at which Putin's supporters celebrated Navalny's death.
A video of the roaring crowd caused widespread horror in Russia.
Peskov rejected the accusations directed at Putin from the West.
These are “openly brazen statements” that are absolutely inappropriate for state representatives.
Russian human rights activists had also accused Putin of murder.
Mourning for Navalny despite the threat of arrests and punishments
Meanwhile, people in Russia continued to commemorate the dead Navalny despite the threat of arrests and punishments.
In Moscow, German envoy Anke Holstein laid flowers at the monument to victims of political persecution.
“We express our deepest condolences to Navalny’s family, colleagues and supporters,” the embassy in Moscow said.
Navalny's honesty and strength were exemplary.
“We will always honor his legacy.” Several Western ambassadors had already laid flowers at the location at the Russian intelligence headquarters on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Russian courts have so far imposed more than 200 sentences in urgent proceedings against the mourners taking part in spontaneous remembrance.
In St. Petersburg alone, the courts in the metropolis ordered arrest or fines against 199 people, and there were also several such administrative punishments in the Russian capital Moscow.
In St. Petersburg, more than 154 people were held in a detention cell, most of them for several days.
According to civil rights activists, there have been more than 400 arrests in more than 30 cities nationwide since Friday.
According to the protocols, the sentences in the St. Petersburg courts were imposed for disturbing public order after unauthorized gatherings in a public place.
According to the law in Russia, this can result in a fine of up to 20,000 rubles (around 200 euros), community service or up to 15 days in arrest.
(dpa)