The online service X, formerly Twitter, has temporarily blocked Yulia Navalnaya’s account. The exact reasons are still unclear. It was now reported that the account violated X’s rules.
The X account of Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in custody, was temporarily blocked. The message that appeared on the account, which was set up just the day before, read: “Account blocked. X blocks accounts that violate our rules.” No further information about the reasons has been given so far. The account can now be accessed again.
Shortly after the blocking, the Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK), founded by Navalny, also posted an appeal to owner Elon Musk on X: “Please explain exactly which rules were broken by @yulia_navalnaya.” About three quarters of an hour later, the account was released again.
Navalnaya appeals to the EU
The Kremlin critic’s widow had previously blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for her husband’s death in a Russian prison camp and said she would continue Navalny’s work. Shortly before she was blocked, Navalnaya had written: “I don’t care at all what the killer’s spokesman says about my words.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed her statements as “filthy.”
Navalnaya also appealed to the European Union not to recognize the presidential election in Russia in March. “A president who murders his main political rival cannot, by definition, be legitimate,” Yulia Navalnaya said in a video message. “Don’t recognize this choice.” It is certain that Putin will be re-elected as president and will therefore be able to remain in power until at least 2030.
Numerous Western politicians, such as US President Joe Biden, see the Kremlin as responsible for Navalny’s death. The federal government summoned the Russian ambassador to Berlin on Monday in protest. France did this today. Putin himself has not yet commented on Navalny’s death. However, the presidential office in Moscow denied responsibility.
Family cannot see body for weeks
According to the Russian penal authorities, Navalny, one of Putin’s most prominent opponents, suddenly collapsed and died while walking in a prison camp in the Arctic Circle on Friday at the age of 47. However, there are considerable doubts about this representation. In addition, the family has not yet been allowed to see the body – and this will remain the case for some time.
“The investigators have told Alexei’s mother and the lawyers that they will not hand over his body and that they will carry out a chemical analysis, an examination, in the next 14 days,” said Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Jarmisch. “They will be doing some sort of inspection for at least two weeks.” “I’ll say it again: Navalny’s body is being hidden to cover up the traces of the murder,” Jarmisch wrote on the online service X