Putin Critic Alexei Navalny's Body Found With Bruises On Head, Chest: Report

According to a leading Russian daily, Novaya Gazeta Europe, bruising and marks were found on the head and chest of Alexei Navalny's dead body, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who died a few days ago in a Russian prison. The newspaper report was based on the results found by a paramedic professional.

On the condition of anonymity, a source revealed details stating Navalny's head and chest were bruised when his body arrived at the mortuary.

However, the Russian prison officials reported that Navalny fell unconscious when he was taking a walk at the Polar Wolf penal colony in the Arctic, where he was serving a three-decade sentence.

Following the untimely death of the 47-year-old, officials took his body to a nearby town of Labytnangi, before being transferred to the District Clinical Hospital in Salekhard.

"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," Russian Daily quoted the paramedic source.

Highlighting suspicion over the death of the Russian President's critic, the paramedic source added "They drove him to the morgue, brought him in, and then stationed two policemen in front of the door. They might as well have put up a sign saying 'Something mysterious is going on here!' Of course, everyone wanted to know what had happened, what all the secrecy was about, and whether they were trying to hide something serious."

However, the Russian government has junked all such allegations stating that Navalny was not tortured or beaten behind bars. The government also termed it as a natural death.