The body of Alexei Navalny was found in the Salekhard hospital morgue, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe. According to reports from nurses, Navalny had bruises on his chest, similar to those created by forceful massages to recover from a suspension.

After Navalny’s sudden death on Friday, his body was first taken to the town of Labytnangi, 36 kilometers away from the prison colony, where he breathed his last in the village of Harp. However, sources said the body was later on Friday taken to the Regional Clinical Hospital in the regional capital Salekhard.

“Usually the bodies of people who die in prison are taken straight to the Coroner’s Office on Glazkova Street, but in this case they were taken to the clinical hospital for some reason,” said a paramedic at Salekhard’s ambulance service.

“They took him to the morgue and then put two policemen in front of the door, the same source said.

It soon emerged that the body handed over was that of Alexey Navalny and that his death was “not criminal in nature”, a term used to indicate that no firearms were involved. It then came out that hospital doctors had been banned from performing an autopsy, the source added.

“As an experienced nurse, I can say that the injuries described by those who saw them appeared to be from convulsions… If a person is convulsing and others try to restrain him, but the convulsions are too strong, then bruises occur. They also said he had a bruise on his chest – the kind that comes from indirect heart massage,” he stressed

“Maybe they tried to revive him. He probably died of cardiac arrest,” said the nurse. “But no one is saying anything about why he went into cardiac arrest,” he added.