'Happens all the time': Internet fumes after Russian authorities claim Alexei Navalny succumbed to sudden death syndrome

MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Russian authorities announced on Saturday, February 17, that fierce Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, 47, succumbed to a medical condition known as "sudden death syndrome."

This claim has sparked outrage among family members and supporters who found his death to be mysterious. Moreover, as per his team, the whereabouts of Navalny's body remain unclear.

His mother was apparently informed that the body was in Salekhard, near the prison complex, but found the morgue closed upon arrival. Shockingly, when Navalny's lawyer contacted the establishment, they denied having his body.

Officials later stated that the body would not be released until the completion of the investigation, contradicting their earlier statements of there being no foul play. 

"They are trying to cover traces, this is why they are not giving the body to his family and this is why they are just hiding him from them," said Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, to BBC.

After the Kremlin critic's death, videos circulated online showing authorities forcibly clearing areas where tributes were being paid, leading to the detention of up to 340 people, as reported by Sky News.

Vice President Kamala Harris, during her appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference, paid tribute to Navalny, hailing him as a "courageous leader who opposed corruption and autocracy," as per the New York Post. 

She added, "I met with his wife, Yulia, yesterday and express[ed] my outrage and sorrow in this fight. He stood up for the truth. The reports of his death are further proof of Putin’s brutality." 

Family and team rebuke Russian authorities' claim regarding Alexei Navalny's sudden death

Navalny reportedly died on Friday in the harsh conditions of Russia's "Polar Wolf" penal colony, located in the remote Arctic area of Kharp, approximately 1,200 miles northeast of Moscow.

In a poignant display of grief, his mother spent the entirety of Saturday in search of his body and the authorities' declaration of the unusual cause of death seemed to add more mystery to the situation, 

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ivan Zhdanov, who directs Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, noted, "When Alexei's lawyer and mother arrived at the colony this morning, they were told that the cause of Navalny's death was sudden death syndrome."

Sudden death syndrome typically involves heart-related complications leading to an individual's unforeseen demise. The announcement has left his family, and indeed the world, in a state of discontent and disbelief, according to the New York Post. 

"Alexey Navalny was murdered. His death occurred on February 16 at 2.17 pm local time, according to the official message to Alexey’s mother," declared Navalny's spokesperson, Kira. 

Internet agitated as Russian authorities reveal Alexei Navalny's cause of death

Soon after sudden death syndrome was cited as Navalny's cause of death, the Internet couldn't hold back from sharing their inputs, with many showing rage over the mysterious nature of the Kremlin critic's passing. 

One sarcastically wrote, "Is that like 'sudden Polonium-210' syndrome? Very common, happens all the time," and another added, "Sudden death syndrome. Hate it when that’s going around. I wonder if there's a vaccine."

Someone else raged, "‘sudden death syndrome,’ is a popular way to go, if Putin doesn't like you!" 

"He died of death. Mystery solved. Some people die of gravity. Nothing to see here. Everybody move along now," noted a person and one more said, "Otherwise known as Putinosis."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.