Alexei Navalny’s wife claims the Russia authorities have hidden her husband's body as they wait for "traces of yet another of Putin's novichoks to disappear".
It comes as a report alleges that the Russian opposition's body was discovered by medical workers with "bruising" as concerns are raised over his cause of death.
In a video statement, Yulia Navalnaya said: "My husband could not be broken. And that's exactly why Putin killed him. Shameful, cowardly, not daring to look into his eyes or simply say his name."
According to Novaya Gazeta - a highly regarded opposition newspaper - an inmate at IK-3 claims a "mysterious commotion" broke out at the prison the night before it was reported that Navalny’s had died.
Alexei Navalny’s wife has claimed his body was discovered in the morgue with "bruising" as concerns are raised over his cause of deathGettyDespite the Kremlin denying any involvement in his death, his wife said: "As vile and cowardly they are now hiding his body, they are not showing it, not giving it to his mother, and they are pathetically lying and waiting for the traces of yet another of Putin's novichoks to disappear there."
Navalny’s body was taken to the Salekhard district clinical hospital on Friday evening, an anonymous paramedic has said.
They added that such bruising could occur if medical staff were trying to restrain someone experiencing "strong convulsions".
The source added: "They also said that he also had a bruise on his chest. But one that appears in connection with indirect cardiac massage."
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Questions over his death continued after Navalny’s mother arrived at the mortuary where the authorities claimed her son’s body had been taken, to find it was not there.
Lyudmila Navalnaya and Navalny’s lawyer were told by prison officials that his body was in Salekhard, a town about 30 miles away from the prison camp he was held in Kharp, however mortuary staff claimed his body was not there.
New traffic camera footage appears to show a Russian convoy transporting a body from prison to a morgue overnight on February from 16 to 17 - the same day as Navalny's death.
It has also been reported that just two minutes after the time Navalny was officially said to have died — 2.17pm local time (9.17am GMT) — the prison service sent out what appeared to be a prepared press release.
Questions over his death continued after Navalny’s mother arrived at the mortuary where the authorities claimed her son’s body had been taken, to find it was not there
ReutersA state-controlled channel on the Telegram messaging site then claimed the cause of death was a blood clot just four minutes later.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, spoke to the media about the death just seven minutes later.
Russia’s prison service originally stated that the 47-year-old felt unwell while taking a walk and that doctors had tried to resuscitate him after he fell unconscious.
Navalny had been a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, and was jailed in 2021 following a string of convictions widely considered to have been politically motivated.
