Russian dissident Alexey Navalny's death in prison prompts questions over possible cover-up

Doctor Alexandr Polupan, a Russian medical professional, assessed Navalny's condition along with other doctors after he was poisoned and taken in an unconscious state to a hospital in Omsk in 2020. Doctor Polupan was also one of the signatories of a letter addressed to Putin in January of last year, demanding that Navalny be provided with comprehensive medical care per the Russian Federation Constitution.

"I don't possess any exclusive information on Navalny's condition - the team didn't have it either. However, I have spoken with Alexey's family during those periods when his health was noticeably deteriorating, but to my knowledge, that has not been the case recently," said Doctor Polupan during a conversation with journalists from the independent Russian service, Meduza.

Doctor Polupan conceded that it's apparent that Navalny's overall health was poor, as would be expected for anyone in similar conditions of imprisonment. "However, the idea that he died of natural causes doesn't seem plausible to me," he commented.

Doctor Polupan voiced concern over the quick attribution of cause: "Firstly, the propagandists started writing about a detached clot, but this can't be confirmed without an autopsy. They could simply label it as 'sudden cardiac arrest,' but a thromboembolic disease (an artery blockage caused by a blood clot) can be conclusively diagnosed only through an autopsy. There are no other methods," he explained.

Assuring that Navalny was not at risk of thromboembolic disease, Doctor Polupan stated that Navalny did not suffer from diseases of the veins in the lower limbs, thrombophilia, or thrombosis. "Often blood clots find their way to the pulmonary arteries from the veins of the lower limbs and the pelvis. Hence, risk factors could include leg issues such as long-term immobilization post fractures or cancerous processes in the pelvic organs. Yet Alexey displayed none of these conditions. He also hadn't been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation," the doctor added.

Doctor Polupan maintained that a transparent autopsy could reveal the presence of a blood clot. He asserted, "A thromboembolic disease can't be diagnosed unless a distinct blood clot is found," in response to a question posed by the Meduza service regarding whether the clot information propagated by the media could be viewed as authorities attempting to cover up a potential murder.

Doctor Polupan admitted that while the authorities might be able to manipulate the autopsy protocol, no one could independently verify the findings.

Source: meduza.io