Russian Court Orders Arrest of Yulia Navalnaya
Wife of Late Opposition Leader Alexey Navalny
A court in Moscow has ordered the arrest of Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the late opposition politician Alexey Navalny, in absentia. This was announced by her spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, on Tuesday. The Basmanny District Court in Moscow accused Navalnaya of participating in an extremist organization. Her name has also been added to an international wanted list.
The court granted a request by the Investigative Committee of Russia to detain Navalnaya. The period of detention will be calculated from the moment of her possible extradition to Russian territory or from her detention on Russian territory. It is important to note that Navalnaya does not currently reside in Russia.
Background on Alexey Navalny
Alexey Navalny, a high-profile opposition leader in Russia, died on February 16 in a penal colony in Siberia. He was serving a 19-year sentence for causing an extremist community, financing extremist activities, and other crimes. Navalny had denied these allegations, calling them politically motivated. He had previously been serving an 11-and-a-half-year sentence on fraud and other charges.
Navalny was known for his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His death occurred just weeks before Russia’s presidential elections, which were scheduled to begin on March 15.
Reactions and Accusations
In February, Yulia Navalnaya accused President Putin of being responsible for her husband’s death and hinted at continuing his work for a ‘happy, beautiful Russia.’ In March, a Russian court rejected a lawsuit by Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, which alleged that Navalny had received inadequate medical care in the penal colony where he died.
Ivan Zhdanov, head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation started by Navalny, criticized the court’s decision, stating that Navalny had filed multiple lawsuits for failure to provide medical care. Navalny’s family and supporters have accused President Putin of being responsible for his death, an accusation the Kremlin has denied.
Russian prison authorities claimed that Navalny fell unconscious and died on February 16 after a walk outside the ‘Polar Wolf’ prison. His death certificate stated that he died of natural causes. Lyudmila Navalnaya traveled to the Arctic city of Salekhard shortly after his death, where investigators refused to release his body until she agreed to bury him without a public funeral. Thousands attended his short funeral ceremony in Moscow, defying Kremlin warnings against large gatherings.
