More than 100 Russian doctors have come together to demand an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
In an open letter addressed to Russia’s Investigative Committee, the doctors are calling for a criminal case to be opened against the staff of the Arctic penal colony where Navalny died suddenly in February.
Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, recently revealed that Russian authorities had attributed his death to "arrhythmia" caused by a "combination of illnesses," including severe hypertension, myocardial sclerosis, cerebral edema, and pulmonary edema.
These conditions, according to the official ruling, led to his sudden demise.
However, the group of doctors argues that such severe organ damage would have developed over time due to long-term hypertension and high blood pressure—conditions that should have been identified during the routine medical examinations Navalny underwent before each of his frequent stints in solitary confinement.
"Despite these existing medical conditions, hypertensive therapy was not prescribed to Alexey, and he continued to be sent to solitary confinement," the doctors stated in their letter.
"This negligence ultimately led to the serious complications of hypertension that caused his death."
The doctors' letter directly accuses the Federal Penitentiary Service employees of negligence, arguing that their failure to properly diagnose and treat Navalny's condition contributed to his death.
While the letter points to the responsibility of the prison authorities, both Yulia Navalnaya and Navalny’s personal doctor, Alexander Polupan, have expressed doubt over the official diagnosis.
Polupan has openly dismissed the Investigative Committee’s conclusion that Navalny’s death was due to a "combination of illnesses," calling it rubbish.
