Russia’s opposition leader and the Kremlin critic, Alexei Navalny’s dead body was covered in bruises at the Arctic morgue, an anonymous paramedic was quoted as saying on Sunday. The 47 year old’s deaf body was transferred from a hospital to morgue. A source at the morgue was quoted as saying that the Kremlin critic’s body “showed signs of bruising that were caused by being held down while suffering a seizure.”

The source added that while “usually the bodies of people who die in prison are taken straight to the Bureau of Forensic Medicine on Glazkova Street, but in this case it was taken to the clinical hospital for some reason.” He further continued, “As an experienced paramedic, I can say that the injuries described by those who saw them appeared to be from convulsions.” The paramedic said that Navalny’s body had bruises of a certain specific type.

“If a person is convulsing and others try to hold him down but the convulsions are very strong, then bruising appears. They also said he had a bruise on his chest — the kind that comes from indirect cardiac massage,” he explained. “So they [officers at the prison service] did try to resuscitate him, and he probably died of cardiac arrest,” the paramedic stressed. “But nobody is saying anything about why he had a cardiac arrest,” he furthermore added.

Navalny's body kept at morgue under police guard in Salekhard district 

Navalny’s body is being kept at the morgue under the police guard in Salekhard district clinical hospital, the pro-Kremlin channels on Telegram reported. The autopsy hasn’t been performed yet, the authorities said. Navalny mother who earlier said that she has not seen her son’s deadbody was reportedly “assured” that her son’s body was at the main morgue, and the investigation will be carried out to ascertain the cause of the death. Earlier, the FSB, the Russian intelligence service, had visited the ‘Polar Wolf’ Arctic prison at Kharp, days ahead of Navalny’s death.

The sudden and mysterious death of Russia’s Opposition Leader Navalny, has sparked discussions around all the opponents of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin who have fallen victim of shooting, poisoning with radioactive nerve agent, fainting after drinking infamous ‘tea’ and mysteriously falling out of the window. The 47-year-old Navalny widely criticised the state machinery, ruling government, autocrat in Russia, and recently turned into a war critic from behind the prison. US President Joe Biden and Vice resident Kamala Harris accused Russia's president Putin of being behind Navalny's death while Kremlin leaders claimed that Navalny was supported by CIA.