Alexei Navalny death latest: Putin brings new criminal case against critic’s brother as mother pleads for body

The mother of Alexei Navalny has issued an appeal directly to Vladimir Putin for the release of her son’s body.

Standing outside the “Polar Wolf” Arctic Circle penal colony where Mr Navalny died, 69-year-old Lyudmila Navalnaya says: “I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin, because the solution to this problem depends only on you.

“Let me finally see my son. I demand that Alexei’s body be released immediately so that I can bury him in a humane way.”

Her remarks came as Russia initiated a new criminal case against Navalny’s brother, Oleg, a Russian news agency reported.

TASS did not say under which article of the criminal code the case had been opened, but said police were searching for Oleg Navalny, who was already on the wanted list in connection with another matter.

Ms Navalnaya travelled to “Polar Wolf” last Saturday following news that her son had died - but when she tried to pick up the body, she was told it was being withheld for investigations.

The Russian authorities have since said that they will not return his body for roughly two weeks while they continue investigating his death.

Mr Navalny’s wife, Yulia, has accused the authorities of holding his body to wait for traces of “yet another Putin's Novichok” to leave his body — referring to the military nerve agent used to poison him years ago.

Key Points

• Putin awards military rank to Navalny torturer days after death

• Alexei Navalny’s mother won’t see body during authorities’ 14-day ‘chemical analysis’

• CCTV appears to show Alexei Navalny’s body being transported in midnight convoy

• Navalny’s widow accuses Kremlin of ‘waiting for novichok’ to leave his body

X says Yulia Navalnaya’s account was suspended by ‘mistake’

15:15 , Tom Watling

Social media site X has claimed it suspended the account of Yulia Navalnaya after mistakenly flagging it as “violating our rules”.

“Our platform’s defense mechanism against manipulation and spam mistakenly flagged

@yulia_navalnaya  as violating our rules,” it wrote.

“We unsuspended the account as soon as we became aware of the error, and will be updating the defense.”

They did not clarify in what way they mistakenly believed Ms Navalnaya had broken the rules.

Protests, poisoning and prison: The timeline of Alexei Navalny’s life and his opposition to Vladimir Putin

15:10 , Tom Watling

Alexei Navalny, a thorn in the side of the Kremlin and Russia’s most prominent political dissident, has died in prison at the age of 47.

Navalny, a fierce critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, had been sentenced to 19 years in a penal colony around 40 miles of the Arctic Circle in charges widely thought to be politically motivated.

The 47-year-old felt unwell after a walk at the jail and lost consciousness. An ambulance arrived to try to rehabilitate him, but he died, according to prison authorities.

Protests, poisoning and prison: The life of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Poland summons Russian ambassador over Navalny death

14:42 , Tom Watling

Poland’s Foreign Ministry has said it had summoned Russia’s ambassador over the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

“The ministry called on Russian authorities to take responsibility for the death of Alexei Navalny and conduct a full and transparent investigation to determine the circumstances and cause of his death,” the ministry said in a statement.

Watch: Alexei Navalny’s mother makes direct plea to Vladimir Putin to release son’s body

14:05 , Tom Watling

Alexei Navalny’s mother has issued a video appeal directly to Vladimir Putin for the release of her son’s body.

In a recorded message outside the “Polar Wolf” Arctic Circle penal colony on Tuesday (20 February), Lyudmila Navalnaya said: “I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin, because the solution to this problem depends only on you.

“Let me finally see my son. I demand that Alexei’s body be released immediately so that I can bury him in a humane way.”

Russian authorities have said they will not return Mr Navalny’s body for two weeks while they continue investigating his death.

Alexei Navalny’s mother makes direct plea to Vladimir Putin to release son’s body

Yulia Navalnaya’s X account restored

13:34 , Tom Watling

Yulia Navalnaya’s X account has been restored just minutes after it was suspended.

The wife of Alexei Navalny created an account on Monday, quickly amassing nearly 100,000 followers.

Russia opens a new criminal case against Alexei Navalny’s brother -Tass

13:23 , Tom Watling

Russia has initiated a new criminal case against Oleg Navalny, the brother of dead Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Tass state news agency reported on Tuesday.

TASS did not say under which article of the criminal code the case had been opened, but said police were searching for Oleg Navalny. who was already on the wanted list in connection with another matter.

In 2014, Oleg Navalny was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for fraud in a case Kremlin critics said was trumped up and designed to pile pressure on his late brother.

X/Twitter bans Alexei Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya for breaking its rules

13:17 , Tom Watling

X, formerly known as Twitter, has banned the account of Alexei Navalny’s widow.

Yulia Navalnaya set up her account on Monday. She has since used it to commit to holding Russian president Vladimir Putin to account.

X/Twitter bans Alexei Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya for breaking its rules

Alexei Navalny – the man who knew too much

13:05 , Tom Watling

For a decade and more, he and his team deployed a mix of tenacity and mockery to probe the Mafia-style financial links between those at the top of Russian politics, security and business, writes John Kampfner. Frozen out of state-controlled mainstream media, Navalny used every digital platform and every social media channel available to shine a light on Putin’s corrupt regime, surviving multiple poisonings and incarceration until he was finally – and inevitably – silenced by his greatest foe...

Alexei Navalny – the man who knew too much

X, formerly Twitter, suspends Yulia Navalnaya’s account

12:57 , Alexander Butler

X, formerly Twitter, has suspended the account of Alexei Navalny’s widow. It is unclear why the social media network has removed her profile.

Yulia Navalnaya joined the platform on Monday, where she vowed to carry on the work of her husband and hold Russian president Vladimir Putin to account.

Mrs Navalnaya accused Putin of killing her husband with novichock poison and said evidence would be provided over the next few days. The Kremlin denied any involvement in his death.

Alexei Navalny’s widow meets with European Council president in Brussels

12:37 , Tom Watling

European Council president, Charles Michel, met with the widow of Alexei Navalny in Brussels on Monday 19 February, where she is also due to meet EU Foreign Affairs Ministers.

Yulia Navalnaya vowed to continue her late husband’s fight against the Kremlin while authorities denied his mother access to a morgue where Mr Navalny’s body is believed to be held after his death last week at an Arctic penal colony.

Russian authorities said that the cause for his death on Friday at age 47 is still unknown.

Mr Navalny had been jailed since January 2021, when he returned to Russia after recuperating in Germany from poisoning with a Novichok-type nerve agent that he blamed on the Kremlin.

Alexei Navalny’s widow meets with European Council president in Brussels

Critics like Navalny need support against ‘monster’ Putin, says Alexander Litvinenko’s widow

12:07 , Tom Watling

Critics like Alexei Navalny need support from the West against the “monster” Vladimir Putin, Alexander Litvinenko’s widow has said.

Marina Litvinenko’s husband, a prominent Putin critic and Russian defector, died in 2006 after becoming violently ill in London having been poisoned with radioactive polonium-210. A British inquiry found that Russian agents had killed Mr Litvinenko, probably with Putin’s approval, but the Kremlin denied any involvement.

He is among the many Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists who have been killed or assaulted in a variety of ways over the years.

Critics like Navalny need support from West, says Alexander Litvinenko’s widow

Navalny’s mother makes direct plea to Vladimir Putin for her son’s body to returned

11:42 , Tom Watling

The mother of Alexei Navalny has made a direct plea to Vladimir Putin for her son to be returned.

In a video released on YouTube, Lyudmila Navalnaya, 69, standing outside the “Polar Wolf” Arctic Circle penal colony where Mr Navalny died, said: “I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin, because the solution to this problem depends only on you.

“Let me finally see my son. I demand that Alexei’s body be released immediately so that I can bury him in a humane way.”

Yulia Navalnaya makes renewed plea for her husband’s body to be returned

11:26 , Tom Watling

The wife of Alexei Navalny has made a renewed demand for her husband’s body to be returned to her “to be buried with dignity”.

Addressing comments by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, in which she called Yulia “boorish” for her accusations that they had murdered her husband with Novichok, Ms Navalnaya said: “I don’t care how the killer’s press secretary comments on my words.

“Give back Alexei’s body and let him be buried with dignity, don’t stop people from saying goodbye to him.

“And I really ask all journalists who may still ask questions: don’t ask about me, ask about Alexey.”

Read Yulia Navalnaya’s full speech at the EU Foreign Affairs Council

11:15 , Tom Watling

You can read the full Yulia Navalnaya speech at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council below.

Who is Yulia Navalnaya – the woman vowing to carry forward Navalny’s battle against Putin

11:00 , Tom Watling

Before the sudden death of her husband Alexei Navalny in a grim Arctic prison last week, Yulia Navalnaya had always played down the suggestion that she would one day take over as leader of Russia’s opposition.

But on Monday, as the 47-year-old widow alternated between rage and grief, she gave a powerful speech signalling that she would be there to help lead a shell-shocked opposition – a job fraught with danger.

“I want to live in a free Russia, I want to build a free Russia,” said the mother-of-two in a video message. Stepping out of the shadow of her dead husband, she called on his supporters to “share the rage” and “stand” with her.

Who is Yulia Navalnaya: Putin’s next political threat

Moscow court rejects jailed US journalists’ appeal

10:45 , Tom Watling

Jailed US journalist Evan Gershkovich has appeared in a Moscow Court today to appeal the extension of his pre-trial detention - but it has been rejected.

The rejection of the latest appeal by the journalist’s lawyers means he is set to remain behind bars until at least 30 Marc, which would mark more than a year since he was taken into custody on an allegation of espionage that the WSJ and the US government vehemently deny.

“The Moscow City Court having considered the appeal against the ruling on the extension of the period of detention in respect of Evan Gershkovich left the court ruling unchanged and the appeal without satisfaction,” a statement read. “Gershkovich will remain in custody until March 30.”

Putin did not watch Yulia Navalnaya's video statement, Kremlin says

10:33 , Tom Watling

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not watch Yulia Navalnaya’s video statement, but her assertion that her late husband Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent is unfounded, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Asked about Navalnaya’s claim that Putin had killed her husband, Peskov said that he would not comment given that Navalnaya had recently been widowed.

But Peskov said that in general accusations that Putin was responsible for Alexei Navalny‘s death were absolutely unfounded and obnoxious.

Wife of jailed Russian opposition figure praises ‘superhuman’ Yulia Navalnaya

10:15 , Tom Watling

The wife of jailed Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza has praised the “superhuman effort” of Alexei Navalny’s spouse, Yulia Navalnaya, following the death of her husband.

Evgenia Kara-Murza, whose husband is currently serving a 25-year sentence in a Siberian penal colony in conditions near identical to what Alexei Navalny had been subjected to, applauded Yulia for “her fortitude and resilience”.

“Walking through hell with your head held high and a firm belief in your strength requires almost superhuman effort,” she wrote on X, sharing a speech by Ms Navalnaya.

“Like millions of people, I mourn with Yulia Navalnyana and admire her fortitude and resilience. And I share her rage.

CCTV appears to show Alexei Navalny’s body being transported in midnight convoy

10:00 , Tom Watling

CCTV cameras appear to show a Russian convoy transporting Alexei Navalny’s body from prison to a morgue.

The camera footage filmed overnight on 16 and 17 February, the same day as Navalny’s death, has been released by the Russian media outlet.

Cameras show the convoy crossing the Ob River south of Labytnangi, which is the only road between the Kharp prison and the Salekhard morgue, where it’s reported the politician‘s body is being held.

Mr Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, and his lawyers say they have been denied entry to the morgue to see his body.

CCTV appears to show Alexei Navalny’s body being transported in midnight convoy

Appeal of Alexei Navalny’s wife could prolong his legacy, says friend of family

09:38 , Tom Watling

The appeal of Alexei Navalny’s wife to continue the fight of her dead husband has rejuvenated a Russian dissident community still mourning the loss of its figurehead, a friend of the Navalny family has told The Independent.

On Monday, in a nine-minute video message laced with rage, Yulia Navalnaya, 47, said she would continue the fight of her husband for a “free Russia” and called on supporters to oppose President Vladimir Putin with greater fury than ever.

Grigori Chkhartishvili, the Russian-Georgian novelist who earlier this month was charged by a Moscow court in absentia for “justifying terrorism, said Yulia’s message was encouraging.

“Many were in despair after Alexei’s death, the prevailing mood was ‘there is no hope now’,” he said. “Yulia’s appeal changed the tide completely. Now everyone is full of hope and energy again.

“If she really goes into politics it might make a big difference. It would mean that killing Alexei  would prove to be Putin’s mistake.”

He added: “Yulia has two potential capabilities. She is the only figure who can unite the divided opposition factions. And what’s even more important she appeals– on personal level – to many Russians who are now politically indifferent. Because she is attractive, emotional, because she is a woman, and because her story is powerful.

“We’ll see soon whether her declaration was made on the spur of the moment or whether it was in earnest. I hope it is the latter.”

Jailed Russian opposition figure says he found out about Navalny’s death yesterday

09:00 , Tom Watling

A jailed Russian opposition politician has expressed his anger over the death of Alexei Navalny, having found out only yesterday.

Ilya Yashin was jailed for eight-and-a-half years in December 2022 for spreading false information meant to discredit the Russian army, under a law introduced after Russia launched its invasion.

His arrest came after statements he made on his YouTube channel about war crimes allegedly committed by Russian forces in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.

Mr Yashin wrote on X: “News comes slowly to the camp barracks, and I only learned about the death of Alexei Navalny yesterday. It’s hard to convey my shock. It’s hard to gather your thoughts. The pain and horror are unbearable.

“Alexey Navalny was my friend. So does Boris Nemtsov. We did a common cause and dedicated our lives to making Russia peaceful, free and happy. Now both my friends are dead. I feel a black emptiness inside. And, of course, I understand my own risks. I’m behind bars, my life is in Putin’s hands, and it’s in danger. But I will continue to stick to my line.

“Standing over Boris’s body in February 2015, I vowed to myself not to be afraid, not to give up and not to run. Nine years later, mourning Alexei, I can only repeat this oath.”

Putin awards military rank to Navalny torturer days after death

08:47 , Tom Watling

Vladimir Putin has awarded a prison minister responsible for depriving Alexei Navalny of food during his latest incarceration with the military rank of Colonel General.

First deputy head of the Federal Penitentiary Service Valery Boyarinev was awarded the rank on Monday, just three days after Mr Navalny was killed.

Ivan Zhdanov, director of Mr Navalny’s Anti-Corruption foundation, reposted an image of the order issued by Boyarinev in March 2023 to IK-6 of the Vladimir region to limit the amount with which the Russian opposition figure could buy food in custody.

Vladimir Osechkin, who founded the “No to Gulag” project, has claimed that Boyarinev oversaw the torture of Ukrainian prisoners and Navalny in the Russian prison system.

Alexei Navalny – the man who knew too much

08:30 , Namita Singh

For a decade and more, he and his team deployed a mix of tenacity and mockery to probe the Mafia-style financial links between those at the top of Russian politics, security and business, writes John Kampfner.

Frozen out of state-controlled mainstream media, Navalny used every digital platform and every social media channel available to shine a light on Putin’s corrupt regime, surviving multiple poisonings and incarceration until he was finally – and inevitably – silenced by his greatest foe.

Alexei Navalny – the man who knew too much

‘There will be consequences,’ says Cameron

08:15 , Namita Singh

Foreign secretary Lord Cameron said he expected the UK and G7 allies to impose fresh sanctions on Russians involved in Alexei Navalny’s death.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to the Falkland Islands, Lord Cameron said: “I think the first thing is just to remember what a great man Alexei Navalny was, and what an appalling regime Putin runs in Russia.

“And yes, there will be consequences. What we do in these situations is we look at how someone’s human rights have been damaged and the individual people that caused that, and we’re able to go after those people with particular measures.

“Now we never pre-announce sanctions in advance, I can’t do that.

“But what I can tell you is at the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Munich, I pressed that the United Kingdom will be doing that and I urged other countries to do the same. And I believe very much that both those things will happen.”

In video: Foreign affairs minister stresses Navalny’s death was a ‘murder’

08:00 , Namita Singh

Foreign Affairs minister stresses Navalny’s death was a ‘murder’

In pictures: Hundreds mourn Alexei Navalny with vigil, flowers and protests

07:45 , Namita Singh

France to summon Russian ambassador in Paris after Navalny's death, Le Monde reports

07:30 , Namita Singh

France will summon the Russian ambassador to Paris following the death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, reported Le Monde newspaper, citing comments made by French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne during a trip in Argentina.

“I have asked to summon the Russian ambassador today at 1830,” Mr Sejourne said, according to Le Monde.

On Monday, Germany had also summoned Russia’s ambassador in Berlin over the death of Navalny.

‘Covering up traces of their crime’

07:20 , Namita Singh

Alexei Navalny’s ally Ivan Zhdanov denounced the Russian authorities as “lackeys and liars” as he lashed out at them for the delay in handing over the Putin critic’s body.

“It’s clear what they are doing now – covering up the traces of their crime,” he wrote on Monday.

Since Navalny’s death, nearly 400 people have been detained by police in Russia as they streamed to ad-hoc memorials and monuments to victims of political repression with flowers and candles to pay tribute to Navalny, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests.

The US and British ambassadors also mourned Navalny’s death at a memorial in Moscow.

Foreign Office minister stresses Navalny’s death was a ‘murder’

07:01 , Andy Gregory

EU foreign policy chief calls for independent investigation into Navalny’s death

06:59 , Namita Singh

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc was mulling sanctions against Russia and he also called for an independent international investigation into the causes of Alexei Navalny’s death.

He said responsibility for Navalny’s death lies with “(Russian president Vladimir) Putin himself, but we can go down to the institutional structure of the penitentiary system in Russia,” to impose asset freezes and travel bans

Long Read | Alexei Navalny – the man who knew too much

06:04 , Andy Gregory

“The reason why it all happened is one man’s hatred and fear – one man hiding in a bunker. I mortally offended him by surviving an attempt at my life he ordered. And then I committed an even more serious offence: I didn’t go into hiding. And that’s driving this thieving little man in his bunker out of his mind.”

So declared the accused from behind his courtroom cage as he prepared to be sentenced to jail. His crime was to have challenged the man in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, with the one tool remaining, the power of speech.

That act of defiance exactly three years ago, was the beginning of the end of the life of Alexei Navalny. The blogger, vlogger, humourist and deeply earnest arch-critic of this most evil of regimes was to see his prison sentence repeatedly extended, his place of captivity made increasingly barren and remote.

The only way Navalny might have escaped death would have been if his nemesis had been toppled from his throne. The reverse has happened.

John Kampfner has more in this longer read:

More than 300 detained in Russia for paying respects to Alexei Navalny

05:45 , Namita Singh

More than 300 people werre detained in Russia after paying respects to prominent Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny, whose death was announced by prison authorities, a rights group reported.

Alexei Navalny supporters detained in Russia after paying respects to Kremlin critic

In video: Navalny’s killers will be named, says widow

05:30 , Namita Singh

Alexei Navalny’s killers will be named, wife says in new video message

Critics like Navalny need support from West, says Litvinenko’s widow

05:15 , Namita Singh

Critics like Alexei Navalny need support from the West against the “monster” Vladimir Putin, Alexander Litvinenko’s widow has said.

Marina Litvinenko’s husband, a prominent Putin critic and Russian defector, died in 2006 after becoming violently ill in London having been poisoned with radioactive polonium-210. A British inquiry found that Russian agents had killed Mr Litvinenko, probably with Putin’s approval, but the Kremlin denied any involvement.

He is among the many Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists who have been killed or assaulted in a variety of ways over the years.

Report:

Critics like Navalny need support from West, says Alexander Litvinenko’s widow

Germany calls for speedy agreement of new EU sanctions against Russia

05:01 , Andy Gregory

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has expressed hopes that the European Union will agree on the new package of Russian sanctions soon – which EU officials told Reuters could happen as soon as Wednesday.

“We have seen the brutal force with which the Russian president represses his own citizens who take to the streets to demonstrate for freedom or write about it in newspapers,” said Ms Baerbock.

“We will propose new sanctions in light of the death of Alexei Navalny.”

Trump finally breaks silence on Navalny’s death

04:51 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump has finally commented on the death of Russian opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny – to draw a self-serving and unlikely comparison with his own legal plight.

Rather than blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for the highly suspicious death of Navalny in an Arctic prison camp on Friday, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination wrote on Truth Social: “The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country.

“It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction.”

More in this report from Joe Sommerlad:

Trump finally breaks silence on Navalny’s death to cast himself as a victim

Russian authorities are waiting for trace of poison to disappear, says Navalny’s widow

04:39 , Namita Singh

Alexei Navalny’s widow yesterday alleged that her husband was killed with Novichok-style nerve agent.

“They are cowardly and meanly hiding his body, refusing to give it to his mother and lying miserably while waiting for the trace of” poison to disappear, said Yulia Navalnaya.

She urged Russians to rally behind her “to share not only the grief and endless pain that has enveloped and gripped us, but also my rage.”

She continued: “The main thing that we can do for Alexei and ourselves is to keep fighting. ... We all need to get together in one strong fist and strike that mad regime.”

Navalny’s widow vows to continue fight against Kremlin

04:31 , Namita Singh

The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny vowed yesterday to continue his fight against the Kremlin, while authorities denied his mother access to a morgue where his body is believed to be held after his death last week in an Arctic penal colony.

With her voice cracking at times in a video posted on social media, Yulia Navalnaya accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of killing her husband in the remote prison and alleged that officials’ refusal to hand over the body to her mother-in-law was part of a cover-up.

Russian authorities said that the cause of Navalny’s death on Friday at the age of 47 is still unknown, and the results of any investigation are likely to be questioned abroad.

Many Western leaders have already said they hold the Russian president responsible for the death.

Navalny’s death has deprived the Russian opposition of its most well-known and inspiring politician less than a month before an election that is all but certain to give Mr Putin another six years in power. It dealt a devastating blow to many Russians, who had seen Navalny as a rare hope for political change amid Mr Putin’s unrelenting crackdown on the opposition.

UK response to Navalny’s death remains unclear amid heavy sanctions on Russia

04:30 , Namita Singh

It remains unclear what response the UK government and other allies may take against Russian president Vladimir Putin, with Moscow already facing heavy sanctions since the start of the war in Ukraine.

In a cabinet meeting held on Monday, Rishi Sunak told ministers “Putin is not winning” but that the UK and its allies must “intensify” support for Ukraine as the country keeps up its defensive position against Moscow.

The prime minister concluded by “reiterating the importance of Ukraine’s success for Western democracy”, Downing Street said.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to the Falkland Islands, foreign secretary Lord David Cameron said: “I think the first thing is just to remember what a great man Alexei Navalny was, and what an appalling regime Putin runs in Russia.

“And yes, there will be consequences. What we do in these situations is we look at how someone’s human rights have been damaged and the individual people that caused that, and we’re able to go after those people with particular measures.

“Now we never pre-announce sanctions in advance, I can’t do that.

“But what I can tell you is at the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Munich, I pressed that the United Kingdom will be doing that and I urged other countries to do the same. And I believe very much that both those things will happen.”

Russian authorities saw Navalny as threat, says Downing Street

04:16 , Namita Singh

Downing Street would not comment on possible future sanctions following Alexei Navalny’s death on Monday, with the prime minister’s official spokesperson telling reporters: “It is very clear that the Russian authorities saw him as a threat and that is why they imprisoned him on fabricated charges.

“The fact that the FSB (the Russian federal security service) poisoned him with a banned nerve agent and then sent him to an Arctic penal colony ... his death must be fully investigated, and all of those in the Russian regime must be held to account.”

His widow Yulia has claimed his family is being blocked from seeing his body as Russian authorities sought to conceal that he was killed using the nerve agent Novichok, which he accused the Kremlin of using to poison him in 2020.

The Kremlin’s most prominent critic, 47-year-old Mr Navalny was imprisoned in January 2021 after he returned to Russia from Germany where he was recuperating from the near-lethal poisoning with a nerve agent.

EU moves closer to new sanctions against Russia

04:02 , Andy Gregory

The European Union has moved closer to new sanctions against Moscow over its war on Ukraine, as Alexei Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya met with the bloc’s 27 foreign ministers in Brussels.

Germany, Lithuania and Sweden were among EU countries calling at the meeting – scheduled before Navalny’s death – for specific new penalties against Russia in response to the suspected killing.

And in a development which will relieve Brussels, Hungary – the last EU country needed to pass the proposed new restrictions against nearly 200 more firms and people deemed involved in the war – said it would not stall or veto the bloc’s 13th package of Russia sanctions since Moscow invaded Ukraine.

The EU’s top diplomat suggested that Russian prison officials linked to Navalny’s death could be added to the list of those subjected to asset freezes and travel bans.

There was no immediate word of any more hard-hitting measures that could target Russia’s broader economy and an EU diplomat said so far it seemed any specific new sanctions related to Navalny’s death would be “symbolic” and come later.

Conservative MP raises concerns over safety of jailed British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza

03:47 , Namita Singh

Conservative MP Bob Seely (Isle of Wight) warned that jailed British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza could “be next” unless “every conceivable course of action” is taken to free him.

Mr Seely said: “In my conversations with Evgenia Kara-Murza, she is adamant she wants everything now done if possible to get Vladimir out, despite the fact he went back on his own accord, because his health is in a fragile condition and if Putin can kill Navalny, he can kill Kara-Murza.”

Mr Kara-Murza, 42, has been a long-term critic of the Russian president and has survived two poisonings since 2015, which have left him with a form of nerve damage called polyneuropathy.

He was jailed by a Moscow court in April 2023, leading the UK to sanction 11 individuals involved in his case.

Amnesty International condemns government crackdown on Navalny mourners

03:44 , Namita Singh

Russia’s crackdown on those mourning Alexei Navalny’s death is an attempt by the authorities to erase him from history, according to Amnesty International. The group’s statement came amid reports that 387 people have been arrested in 39 cities across Russia for their participation in memorial activities.

“The crackdown we are witnessing following Alexei Navalny’s death in custody is not only a tragic reminder of what he fought against but also a clear indication that the Russian authorities are aiming to erase his memory,” Amnesty said in a statement.

“These callous acts are not only shockingly insensitive, but they are also a flagrant violation of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

“The removal of photos of Navalny and the swift dismantling of memorial events across the country, sometimes directly in front of mourners, reveals how the authorities are seeking to expunge his name from the history books.

“Amnesty International calls on the Russian authorities to immediately cease its insensitive campaign against those paying tribute to Alexei Navalny, immediately release all those detained solely for mourning or protesting peacefully, and ensure accountability for the abuses perpetrated against them.

“These are not isolated incidents, but part of a countrywide campaign to silence dissent and instil fear across the nation.”

Opposition calls on Sunak government to impose further sanctions on Russia

03:41 , Namita Singh

Shadow foreign office minister Stephen Doughty urged the government to “review further sanctions on Russia”, including a list of 35 individuals implicated in Alexei Navalny’s 2020 poisoning.

SNP former Westminster leader Ian Blackford meanwhile, called for immediate action against Russia, saying: “Why is Russia participating in the G20 summit this week? There needs to be a very clear message to Putin.

“The only message that he will understand is that we will take the swiftest action against this international thug.”

The demand comes even as Lord David Cameron has already signalled that there could be fresh sanctions against Russian officials.

On Monday, he said he expected the UK and G7 allies to impose fresh sanctions on Russians involved in the politician’s death.

Right to describe Navalny’s death as ‘murder’, minister says

03:13 , Namita Singh

It is right to describe Alexei Navalny’s death as murder, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Leo Docherty agreed with the description of the Russian opposition leader’s death amid calls from MPs to bolster the UK’s sanctions regime in response to the incident.

The comments came as the Conservative chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, said in the Commons that “Navalny was murdered and it is important that we in this house call it out for what it was, because that is what he deserves”.

She also demanded US president Joe Biden follow through on warnings it would act if Navalny were to die.

Foreign Office minister Mr Docherty replied: “She is right to use the word murder. We do seek to hold the state and the Russian leadership to account.

“Of course I can’t comment on the American position but with regard to our policy with regard to Russian state assets, we will continue to look at the appropriate legal path to ensuring that which is frozen might be utilised to bring benefit to those affected by this outrageous and illegal war in Ukraine.”

Mr Docherty added: “His death must be investigated fully and transparently. The Russian authorities must urgently confirm the location of Mr Navalny’s body to his family and allow them access to it.”

David Cameron signals possible sanctions over Navalny’s death

03:01 , Andy Gregory

Downing Street has not commented on possible future sanctions in response to the death of Alexei Navalny in an Arctic penal colony on Friday, but paid tribute to the jailed dissident and called for a full investigation.

However, foreign secretary Lord David Cameron has already signalled that there could be fresh sanctions against Russian officials, amid questions for Russian authorities over how Mr Navalny died and a mounting chorus of Western voices holding Vladimir Putin responsible.

Ukraine wants EU, Japan to sanction Russia after Navalny’s death

02:50 , Namita Singh

Ukraine wants the European Union and Japan to impose new economic sanctions on Russia after the death of Alexei Navalny, prime minister Denys Shmyhal said today.

Ukraine asked the EU to “take a look” at increasing imports of Russian grains, Mr Shmyal said at a press conference in Tokyo.

He also told reporters that Ukraine awaits the support of the US House of Representatives after an aid package was approved by the Senate.

Alexander Litvinenko’s wife calls Vladimir Putin a ‘monster’

01:58 , Andy Gregory

Sunak told Cabinet ‘Putin is not winning’, says No 10

00:56 , Andy Gregory

It remains unclear what response the UK government and other allies may take against Vladimir Putin following the death of Alexei Navalny, with Moscow already facing heavy sanctions since the start of the war in Ukraine.

In a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Rishi Sunak insisted to ministers that “Putin is not winning” but said the UK and its allies must “intensify” support for Ukraine as the country keeps up its defensive position against Moscow.

The prime minister concluded by “reiterating the importance of Ukraine’s success for Western democracy”, Downing Street said.

Tory MP warns jailed British-Russian dissident ‘could be next'

Monday 19 February 2024 23:58 , Andy Gregory

Conservative MP Bob Seely warned that jailed British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza could “be next” unless “every conceivable course of action” is taken to free him.

The Isle of Wight MP said: “In my conversations with Evgenia Kara-Murza, she is adamant she wants everything now done if possible to get Vladimir out, despite the fact he went back on his own accord, because his health is in a fragile condition and if Putin can kill Navalny, he can kill Kara-Murza.”

Mr Kara-Murza, 42, has been a long-term critic of the Russian president and has survived two poisonings since 2015, which have left him with a form of nerve damage called polyneuropathy.

He was jailed by a Moscow court in April 2023, leading the UK to sanction 11 individuals involved in his case.

SNP calls for ‘swiftest action’ against ‘international thug’ Putin

Monday 19 February 2024 23:05 , Andy Gregory

The SNP’s former Westminster leader Ian Blackford has called for immediate action against Russia, telling the Commons: “Why is Russia participating in the G20 summit this week? There needs to be a very clear message to Putin.

“The only message that he will understand is that we will take the swiftest action against this international thug.”

What happened after Navalny was poisoned in 2020?

Monday 19 February 2024 22:13 , Athena Stavrou, Chris Stevenson

Alexei Navalny was given life-saving treatment in Germany in 2020 after he was poisoned with novichok. He blamed the Kremlin for that attack. It was the same nerve agent that had been used to target the former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in 2018.

Navalny returned to Russia in 2021 following his treatment and was immediately arrested. He faced multiple charges that his supporters and much of the international community believed were trumped up in an effort to silence him. He was serving his latest sentence, of 19 years, in an Arctic penal colony having been moved there late last year.

He had kept up the pressure on the Kremlin from inside jail, ahead of a presidential election due to take place in March.

‘Cowardly’ Putin killed my husband because he was ‘unbreakable’, says Yulia Navalnaya

Monday 19 February 2024 21:22 , Andy Gregory

“Cowardly” Vladimir Putin killed Alexei Navalny because the late Russian opposition politician was “unbreakable”, his widowed wife has said.

Calling Putin and the Russian authorities “cowardly”, Yulia Navalnaya spoke with anger about her husband’s death, saying: “My husband was unbreakable. And that’s precisely why Putin killed him.

“Shamefully, cowardly, without ever daring to look him in the eye or just say his name. And just as shamefully and cowardly, they are now hiding his body, not showing it to his mother, not giving it back, and pathetically lying and waiting for traces of another Putin novichok to disappear.”

In full: Navalny’s widow accuses Putin of poisoning husband with novichok and hiding his body

Monday 19 February 2024 20:32 , Andy Gregory

Alexei Navalny’s widow Yulia has accused Vladimir Putin of poisoning her husband with novichok and hiding his body until traces of the nerve agent are unable to be detected.

In a powerful video address, her voice cracking with emotion at points, Yulia Navalnaya vowed soon to expose those she believes are responsible for her husband’s death and pledged to continue her husband’s work – fighting back against the iron grip Mr Putin has had on Russia for more than two decades.

She called on Russians to rally behind her, “to share not only the grief and endless pain that has enveloped and gripped us, but also my rage” following the death of the Russian president’s most prominent critic.

My colleagues Athena Stavrou and Chris Stevenson have the full report on today’s developments:

Navalny’s widow accuses Putin of poisoning husband with novichok and hiding body

Video report: Navalny's mother denied access to morgue where son's body believed to be kept

Monday 19 February 2024 19:40 , Andy Gregory

UK should refuse to recognise Russian elections as legitimate, analyst suggests

Monday 19 February 2024 19:13 , Andy Gregory

The UK should refuse to recogise the upcoming Russian presidential elections as legitimate following the death of Alexei Navalny, an analyst has suggested.

Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine forum at Chatham House, told the PA news agency that the UK “should not actually recognise the legitimacy of Russian elections and say Putin does not represent the Russian people”.

But Dr Ben Noble, co-author of a biography on Navalny and an associate professor of Russian politics at UCL, said: “If Western governments were not to recognise the election as legitimate, we know how that would be framed by the Kremlin: as an attempt at ‘foreign interference’.

“The death of Navalny is the most powerful demonstration of the many illegitimate steps the Kremlin has taken to ensure Putin’s victory.

“It is probably better to consider applying more pressure in Russia following Alexei Navalny’s death by increasing support for Ukraine in so far as that appears to be the focus that could apply maximum pressure to Putin.”