"They locked us up"

“They have locked us up completely”

One of Navalny's fellow prisoners spoke to the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" about the events of the past few days (symbolic image).(Bild: Andrys Lukowski )

Russia's most important opposition figure Alexei Navalny (47) died on Friday. One of his fellow inmates has now spoken to the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" about what happened in the penal colony immediately before Navalny's death. "They locked us up, forbade any movement between the barracks and tightened security," he said.

The search had already been accelerated on Thursday evening. "That usually happens on public holidays, when the guards are in a hurry to celebrate," he is quoted as saying in Bild. "Then they locked us in (...). We heard cars driving onto the prison grounds late at night, but we couldn't see what they were through our cell windows." Navalny and his fellow inmate were held in the remote IK-3 penal colony, also known as the "polar wolf".

A prison in Russia(Bild: Andrys Lukowski )

Thorough search
On Friday morning, the guards are said to have thoroughly searched the prisoners' cells and confiscated phones and card games. It seemed as if an external inspection was about to take place. However, prisoners usually find out about such inspections about a month in advance. "Something must have happened," said the fellow inmate. The news of Navalny's death finally spread at around 10 am.

Help provided too late?
The ambulance had only arrived when the death of the Putin critic was already known to the inmates. "I believe (...) that he died much earlier than was officially announced - most likely the night before," the inmate speculated. The inspectors are also said to have arrived at the same time as the announcement of the death.

A member of the emergency services stated that Navalny's body had bruises (see video above). They indicated that the opposition activist had had convulsions before his death and had been restrained by members of the judiciary. A bruise on his chest suggests that attempts were made to revive Navalny.

No access to the body
So far, the lawyers and the mother and wife of the opponent of the regime have not had access to the body. The authorities are waiting until there are no more traces of the nerve agent Novichok, said the widow Yulia Navalnaya on Monday. She announced that she would continue her husband's work and fight for a free Russia. She is against corruption and injustice, for example. "I am not afraid. I will continue the cause of Alexei Navalny, fight for our country. I call on you to stand by my side."