‘They’re trying to cover it up’ Russia’s Investigative Committee refuses to open criminal investigation into Navalny’s death, says widow Yulia Navalnaya

Russia’s Investigative Committee has refused to open a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Alexey Navalny’s death.

The branch of the Investigative Committee in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the region where Navalny died in prison last February, sent his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, a ruling dated July 26 and signed by inspector Alexander Varapaev informing her that no criminal case would be opened in connection with her husband’s death. After Navalny’s passing, his mother, who had flown to the region, reported that investigators, including Varapaev, blackmailed her, threatening to withhold her son’s body unless she agreed to a secret burial.

The official ruling states that Navalny’s condition “suddenly worsened” during a walk on February 16. Allegedly, he was taken inside before a decision was made to place him in the medical unit and call an ambulance. According to the document, Navalny was given CPR before the ambulance arrived, and at 2:17 p.m. local time, the arriving doctors pronounced him dead.

However, Yulia Navalnaya disputes this sequence of events, claiming that Navalny actually died in a punitive isolation cell (ShIZO). “We know very well that when Alexey became ill, he was not taken to the medical unit but back to the ShIZO, where he was left to die alone. He was already unconscious when he was finally brought to the medical unit, and in his last moments, he complained of severe abdominal pain,” said Navalnaya. She did not elaborate on how this information was obtained.

The official investigation concluded that Navalny’s death “was not of a criminal nature” and resulted from a “combination of illnesses,” including cholecystitis, pancreatitis, and a herniated disc. The report further states that his death was “arrhythmogenic in nature,” triggered by a “critical increase in blood pressure.”

According to Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny never had any heart conditions. “Tell me, how did you detect this arrhythmia during the autopsy? It’s impossible to diagnose a heart rhythm disorder posthumously,” she said. The doctors Navalnaya consulted believe that her husband’s body was autopsied, but when nothing was found, they listed arrhythmia “just to have something to write.”

Moreover, the fact that Navalny’s belongings have not been returned, despite the investigation being complete, raises suspicion among his associates. “They’re withholding his clothes, books, notebooks, journals, and even his cross. Alexey’s mother, Lyudmila [Navalnaya], has been demanding [they give it to her] from day one. There’s only one possible explanation for this. Only one. He was murdered, and now they’re trying to cover it up as much as possible,” Yulia Navalnaya stated.

Inspector Alexander Varapaev, who led the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Alexey Navalny’s death in prison, appears to have been promoted in April, reports Verstka. Previously, he was listed on the Investigative Committee’s website as an investigator for major cases. However, since April, he has been signing documents as the deputy head of the Major Cases Department.

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