The X social media account of Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, was temporarily suspended on Tuesday. A screenshot of the suspended account was shared by Navalny’s spokesperson. The message displayed on Navalnaya’s profile stated, “Accounts that breach X’s rules are suspended”. Another user of X reported seeing a notification indicating the suspension upon visiting @yulia_navalnaya’s page.
Navalnaya’s X account was said to have been “unblocked” approximately 30 minutes later. It seems that the accounts of Navalny’s assistants, including spokesperson Kira Yarmysh, remained unaffected.
The reason for the temporary suspension of Navalnaya’s account was not immediately apparent. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, led by Navalny, questioned Elon Musk, the owner of X, in a social media post about the specific rules that Yulia Navalnaya had allegedly breached.
Yulia Navalnaya’s account on Elon Musk’s X social-media service was briefly suspended, a day after it was used to help her challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin over the death of her husband https://t.co/az22XeHYpi
— Bloomberg (@business) February 20, 2024
As of now, there has been no statement from the press team of X.
Earlier in the day, Yulia Navalnaya, who is the surviving spouse of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, made a plea for the return of Alexei’s remains. She expressed her indifference towards the remarks made by the spokesperson of the perpetrator on her statements. She urged, “Return Alexei’s remains and allow him a dignified burial, do not hinder people from bidding him farewell,” in a post on X, prior to the suspension of her account.
Navalnaya pointed the finger at Russian President Vladimir Putin, blaming him for the assassination of her spouse. Utilizing a video message from overseas on Monday, she rallied opposition supporters to resist the Kremlin leader with unprecedented intensity. She urged them to liberate Russia from what she depicted as a corrupt ruling class, which she referred to as “uniformed bandits, thieves, and killers”.
Putin, who has been Russia’s supreme leader for more than two decades, is anticipated to secure another term of six years in the forthcoming elections with relative ease. While he has remained silent on the subject of Navalny’s demise, the Kremlin has dismissed any allegations of its involvement. It has also stated that an inquiry is in progress to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.
During a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, a transcript of which was provided by a representative on Tuesday, Yulia Navalnaya was reported by Reuters to have stated, “These elections should not be acknowledged. A president who has orchestrated the murder of his primary political adversary inherently lacks legitimacy.”
Navalnaya conveyed that her late husband’s associates will soon disclose the specifics and proof concerning the reasons and methods behind Navalny’s assassination.
Western authorities, with US President Joe Biden among them, have pointed fingers at Putin for the demise and cautioned of repercussions, albeit without providing any proof. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s company X has temporarily put a hold on the account of Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Alexei Navalny.
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