• Source:AFP
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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, has confirmed the death of Putin’s fiercest critic in an Arctic prison and demanded his body be handed over to his family immediately. Yarmysh also accused the Russian officials of lying to delay the process, as reported by CNN.

Navalny’s supporters accused Russian officials of being ‘killers’ who were ‘covering their tracks’ by refusing to hand over his body, as reported by news agency AFP. 

"Alexey Navalny was murdered. His death occurred on February 16 at 2:17 pm local time, according to the official message to Alexei's mother,"  Kira Yarmysh said in a post on social media, as reported by CNN. 

Yarmysh's remark came after the Russian prison service stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin's critic Navalny died on Friday after he felt unwell during a walk in his prison and fell unconscious. However, the exact reason behind his death remained unclear. 

Navalny’s death in an Arctic prison on Friday after serving more than three years in custody drew massive outrage and condemnation from Western leaders and his supporters.

Navalny's mother, Lyudmila, and his lawyer were denied access to his body on Saturday after arriving in the remote prison colony where he had been held, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said.

Following Navalny’s death, the United Kingdom (UK) government has summoned the Russian Embassy to clearly state that they hold the Russian authorities ‘fully responsible for his death’. 

"The UK government has summoned the Russian Embassy to make clear that we hold the Russian authorities fully responsible," the UK government said in a statement on Friday.

US President Joe Biden also condemned Navalny’s death and said that he is ‘outraged’ by his sudden demise. He also blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for his death.

"Reports of his death if they're true and I have no reasons to believe that they're not - Russian authorities are going to tell their own story but make no mistake Putin is responsible for Navalny's death. Putin is responsible. What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin's brutality no one should be fooled not in Russia not at home not anywhere in the world,” Biden said, as quoted by news agency ANI.