(NEW YORK) — Yulia Navalnaya, wife of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, vowed on Monday to continue the work of her late husband.
“No one will protect us except ourselves,” she said in a video message.
Navalny, a long-time Russian opposition politician and critic of the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin died in prison at age 47 on Friday, the state prison service said.
Navalnaya on Monday accused Putin of being involved in the death of her husband.
“Three days ago Vladimir Putin killed my husband, Alexei Navalny,” she said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier denied any involvement in the death, saying there were “no statement from doctors, no information from forensic experts, no final information from the Federal Penitentiary Service, no information about the causes of death.”
Officials at a morgue in the Arctic city where it’s believed Navalny’s body is likely being held refused on Monday morning to allow his elderly mother and lawyers in, according to Navalny’s team.
The officials also refused to say whether Navalny’s body was there, according to Navalny’s team.
Russia’s Investigative Committee which often handles political cases has also informed his relatives that the examination of his death has been “extended” meaning they will not hand the body over for now.
Navalnaya is expected to address a meeting of the European foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday.
ABC News’ Jon Haworth and Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this story.
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