Russia reels in turmoil: Mass arrests follow opposition leader Navalny's mysterious death
According to OVD-Info, a reputable human rights monitoring agency in Russia, there has been a rash of nearly 300 detentions spanning 25 Russian cities. The information was conveyed in the agency's statement today at 2 PM Greenwich Time.
Navalny's death triggers protests in Russia
Peaceful demonstrations promptly followed the news of Alexei Navalny's death on Friday evening. In anticipation of possible riots, the Prosecution in Moscow warned the public of the consequences – criminal liability - of taking part in "unauthorised mass events". As reported by local media outlet, Baza, key cities had their services put on "emergency status".
In St. Petersburg alone, over 100 people were detained.
Navalny's body whereabouts unknown
The circumstances surrounding Navalny's death remain uncertain. Ivan Zhdanov, the head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and a close associate of Navalny, revealed on Saturday on an unspecified platform that the opposition leader's mother and his attorney were informed at the penal colony that Navalny succumbed to "sudden death syndrome". The location of his body remains undisclosed.
Earlier this Saturday, Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman, conveyed that the Russian authorities are performing a second autopsy, and the results will be available later in the week, however, Navalny's body will not be released to his family until the conclusion of the investigation, as reported by Reuters.
AFP reports that Navalny's colleagues accuse the investigators of distorting the truth just to withhold the body of the opposition leader. Yarmysh posted on an unnamed platform: "It's fairly clear that they're lying through their teeth and doing everything in their power to retain possession of the body".
