Traffic cameras appear to have captured a Russian convoy transporting Alexei Navalny’s body from prison to a morgue.
Russian media outlet Mediazona released the camera footage filmed overnight on the 16-17 February – the same day as Navalny’s death.
Both cameras show the same convoy crossing the Ob River south of Labytnangi, which is the only road between the Kharp prison and the Salekhard morgue, where it’s reported the politician’s body is being held.
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Mr Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, and his lawyers had been denied entry to the morgue.
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Navalny’s mother filmed outside morgue
It is around a one-hour drive between the prison and the hospital morgue in the town of Salekhard.
Alexei Navalny’s death was announced at 2.19pm local time on 16 February.
The time codes on the videos suggest the convoy is captured by the traffic cameras between 11.54pm and 12.01am local time.
The convoy consists of four vehicles, including police cars front and back, a minibus, and another unmarked car.
CCTV cameras appear to show the convoy transporting Navalny’s body – pic: Mediazona
Pic: Mediazona
The minibus is a UAZ model, and, according to Mediazona, it has markings that suggest it is a Federal Penitentiary Service vehicle.
Sky News has been unable to independently verify the claims.
Prison authorities said Mr Navalny lost consciousness after taking a walk at the Polar Wolf penal colony on Friday but that attempts to revive him failed.
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The staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise return to Moscow in 2021 after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning, but was immediately detained by authorities.
His imprisonment drew criticism from human rights organisations, and Western nations have now accused Mr Putin of being responsible for his death – accusations vehemently rejected by the Kremlin.
Tributes to Mr Navalny. Pic:AP
On his death, Mr Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, claimed her husband was poisoned with “another of Putin’s novichoks” and that the president was “hiding” his body to ensure traces of the agent would disappear.
She urged the dissident’s supporters to stand by her as she atte to continue her husband’s work.