
A mysterious convoy of four vehicles passes over the frozen Ob River at midnight on February 16. It consists of two patrol cars, a gray sedan and a UAZ minibus with two distinctive green stripes on the side indicating that it belongs to the FSIN, Russia's Federal Prison Service. Vehicles move at a slower speed than some other cars on the road.
In the video published by an independent Russian media, the convoy is seen moving on the only road connecting Labitnangi (the closest town to the "Polar Wolf" penal colony, where Alexei Navalny served a sentence) to Salekhard, in northern Siberia. which is located about 50 km from the prison. After an extensive investigation that included reviewing footage containing several hours of footage, the site believes it is highly likely that this particular convoy carried the body of the 47-year-old lawyer and dissident, who has yet to be released to his family. more than three days after his tragic death. The exact location of Navalny's body and his condition have been the subject of speculation over the past 24 hours.
Three days after the announcement of Alexei Navalny's death in the Arctic prison, his family still cannot claim or even see his body.
— Mediazona English (@mediazona_en) February 18, 2024
We discovered live cam footage of a midnight convoy possibly transporting Navalny's body over the ice river crossing https://t.co/XqjCEKyP56 pic.twitter.com/fM9FClFgXK
Although the family of the Russian opposition leader has repeatedly demanded that his body be handed over, they have faced repeated refusals from the authorities, who in this way are trying to "cover their tracks" according to Navalny's associates. In the latest information brought to light yesterday by 'Novaya', it is said that the body of Alexei Navalny is in the Salekhard Regional Hospital. Until Saturday, an autopsy had not been performed on the dissident's body, independent media reports. Novaya said its source, an unnamed emergency services worker, reported seeing blue marks on the dissident's body. According to the newspaper's source, the blue marks on the body probably indicate where Navalny was held by prison colony staff while he was having seizures.
A bruise on his chest was evidence of resuscitation efforts, the source said. The report makes it clear that the source did not see Navalny's body after death, but got the information from a colleague. Human rights group OVD-Info noted yesterday that more than 12,000 people have signed a petition to the investigative commission to hand over Navalny's body to his family. More than 400 people have been arrested since Friday in 30 Russian cities at events held in Navalny's memory. Demonstrations have also taken place in many countries, in front of Russian embassies.