Nalvany spokesperson says 'Alexei Navalny was murdered'
President Biden, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and many other world leaders have pointed the finger at Putin as the obvious suspect
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A spokesperson for the late Alexei Navalny declared the deceased Russian opposition leader to have been murdered.
Spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh made the claim on Saturday via a post on social media platform X.
"Alexei Navalny was murdered. His death occurred on February 16 at 2:17 p.m. local time, according to the official message to Alexei’s mother," said Yarmysh. "An employee of the colony said that the body of Navalny is now in Salekhard."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BIDEN, AFTER NAVALNY'S DEATH, SAYS 'NO DOUBT' THAT 'PUTIN AND HIS THUGS' WERE BEHIND IT
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is seen on a TV screen as he appears by video link in a Moscow courtroom. (AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
"It was picked up by investigators from the IC. Now they are conducting 'investigations' with him," the spokeswoman said. "We demand that Alexei Navalny's body be handed over to his family immediately."
Navalny's mother and lawyer traveled Saturday to the morgue they were told his body was being kept in, but reported his remains were not there.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russia’s prison agency announced Friday that Navalny — a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin — died at the age of 47.
Navalny has previously organized anti-government demonstrations and has run for office to advocate for reforms against what he claims is corruption in Russia. He was the victim of an alleged assassination attempt in 2020 when he suffered poisoning from a suspected Novichok nerve agent.
NAVALNY SEEN GRINNING, LAUGHING IN COURTROOM VIDEO A DAY BEFORE HIS DEATH
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Vladimir Putin grimaces during his meeting in Chelyabinsk, Russia with workers at the AO Konar plant, a few minutes after his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Putin had been informed about Alexei Navalny's death. (Getty Images)
Navalny was being held at the IK-3 penal colony, also known as "Polar Wolf," in Kharp, Russia — one of the country's toughest prisons.
Officials said Navalny reported feeling unwell following a walk at the penal colony where he was jailed in Siberia before losing consciousness and dying.
Yarmysh is far from the first person to make the claim of murder regarding Navalny's highly suspicious death. World leaders and international affairs experts around the world have pointed the finger at Putin's regime for the highly suspicious death.
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President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. (AP/Evan Vucci)
President Biden told reporters at the White House Friday that "we don't know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that the death of Navalny was a consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Navalny's "death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Whenever Putin spoke about Navalny, he made it a point to never mention the activist by name, referring to him as "that person" or similar wording, in an apparent effort to diminish his importance, according to The Associated Press.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.