Navalny’s widow calls on Russians to fight the Kremlin and continue his legacy

The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said today she would continue her husband’s fight for an independent Russia and called on his supporters to fight President Vladimir Putin with more fury than ever.

Navalny’s death has deprived the disparate Russian opposition of its most charismatic and brave leader, while Putin prepares for an election that will keep him in power until at least 2030.

In an angry nine-minute video message, Yulia, 47, said Putin murdered her husband and in doing so deprived her of a husband and her two children of a father.

But she said the only response to such a crime was to continue her late husband’s fight for an independent and prosperous Russia. The Russians wanted to live differently, he said, even though there was little hope for it.

“I want to live in a free Russia, I want to build a free Russia,” Navalnya said in the video message titled “Continuing the work of Alexei Navalny.”

“I ask you to stand by my side”, He added. “I ask you to share your anger with me. Anger, anger, hatred towards those who dared to destroy our future.”

Yulia accused Russian authorities of hiding Navalny’s body and waiting for the remains of the Novichok nerve agent to disappear from his body.

“Vladimir Putin killed my husband”, Said. “By killing Alexei, Putin killed half of me: half of my heart and half of my soul.”

“But I still have the other half, and it tells me I have no right to give up. “Continue the work of Alexei Navalny, continue fighting for our country.”,

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in his death and said Western claims that Putin was responsible for the death are unacceptable. Putin has warned that if foreign powers try to interfere in Russian elections, a strong response will be given.

Navalny, 47, collapsed and died suddenly on Friday after a walk at the Polar Wolf penal colony in the Arctic, where he was serving a three-decade sentence, according to the prison service.

The Kremlin said on Monday that an investigation into his death was ongoing.