Canada has summoned the Kremlin’s ambassador in Ottawa to condemn the reported death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Russian custody, Global Affairs Canada reported.
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly requested that Ambassador Oleg Stepanov be summoned on Wednesday to hear Canada’s rebuke.
Russian prison authorities said Friday that Navalny, who was serving a 19-year sentence in an Arctic penal colony, lost consciousness after a walk and could not be revived.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was quickly held responsible for his political opponent’s death, and world leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, vowed to hold Russia accountable.
Mr. Jolie’s office issued a written statement late Wednesday afternoon, saying a senior Canadian official had conveyed the country’s “strong condemnation” to Mr. Stepanov.
The official also called on the Russian government to conduct a full and transparent investigation into the death and release Mr Navalny’s body to his family without delay.
“He also expressed concern for other political prisoners in Russia and emphasized the need to protect, rather than punish and arrest, Russian citizens who mourn Navalny’s death,” Jolie’s office said in a statement. Ta.
“Mr. Alexei Navalny was a symbol of hope for the Russian people and his legacy will live on for generations to come. Canada has already imposed sanctions on those involved in the human rights violations against Mr. Navalny. Together with our partners, we will pursue those responsible for his death.” ”
On Friday, the Russian embassy posted a message on social media urging Canada to stop “interfering in its internal affairs” following harsh comments from Trudeau, Jolie and others.
“Every death is a tragedy, but the death of a Russian citizen is a Russian problem,” the embassy said.
Russian authorities say the cause of Navalny’s death is still unknown and are refusing to release his body for the next two weeks while a preliminary autopsy continues, a member of Navalny’s team said.
They accuse the government of stalling to hide evidence.
On Monday, Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya released a video accusing Putin of killing her husband and claiming that his refusal to release his body was part of a cover-up.
“They cowardly and spitefully hid the body and refused to give it to the mother, where it lies in misery,” she said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected her claims, telling reporters: “These are completely baseless and irreverent accusations about the Russian head of state.”
With Navalny’s death, Russia’s opposition has unseated its best-known and most provocative dissident, less than a month before an election that will almost certainly give Putin another six years in power. I was disappointed.
Many Russians saw Mr. Navalny as a rare source of hope for political change amid President Vladimir Putin’s relentless crackdown on opposition.
About 400 people were detained across Russia after his death as they tried to pay their respects to Navalny with flowers and candles, according to OVD Info, a group that monitors political arrests.
Authorities have cordoned off parts of monuments to victims of Soviet repression across the country that were being used as makeshift memorials to Navalny. Police removed the flowers in the evening, but the number continues to grow.
According to OVD-Info, more than 75,000 people have submitted a request to the government to hand over Navalny’s remains to his relatives.
