The widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison on February 16, said today that “leaves her indifferent” the fact that the Kremlin is criticizing her for crude statements blaming Vladimir Putin for her husband’s death.

“The way the killer’s representative comments on my statements leaves me indifferent. Hand over Alexei’s body and let us bury him with dignity, don’t stop people from saying goodbye“, Yulia Navalnaya wrote on social media X (formerly Twitter).

Russia’s supreme leader for more than 20 years has not spoken publicly about Navalny’s death but the Kremlin denies any involvement and says an investigation is underway to establish what happened.

Putin is easily expected to be re-elected in March and win another six-year term in power. Navalny’s widow calls on the West not to recognize the results of these elections.

At a meeting of 27 foreign ministers in Brussels yesterday, Monday, Yulia Navalny asked the European Union to refuse to recognize Russia’s March presidential election, in a step that sharply escalates her campaign against Vladimir Putin.

“Don’t recognize this election. A president who murders his main political opponent cannot be legitimate by definition,” he stressed.