A RUSSIAN rock legend has dedicated a song to the late Alexei Navalny following his death in jail on Friday.

As he performed for a huge crowd in Kazakhstan Yuri Shevchuk made a heartfelt tribute to the fallen anti-corruption activist.

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Russian rock star Yuri Shevchuk dedicated one of his songs to Alexei Navalny following his death[/caption]

Reuters

Alexei Navalny was the Russian opposition leader[/caption]

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Yuri Shevchuk was performing in Kazakhstan when he delivered the tribute[/caption]

Navalny was one of Putin’s most outspoken opponents who spent his final moments suffering in a hellhole Arctic prison after he was locked up for three decades last August.

Navalny denied the charges of fraud and contempt of court but was nevertheless handed the devastating sentence which he had served for just two years before his death.

Shevchuk – who is known for being critical of the Vladimir Putin‘s government – addressed his audience saying: “Alexey Navalny, who spoke to us Russians about freedom, has perished.

“He reminded us that we can all become free in the best sense of the word. He said that faith without freedom is fanaticism.

“Labor without freedom is slavery. Nothing exists without freedom!”

The Russian opposition leader did not expect to be released during Putin’s lifetime.

But it would turn out he wouldn’t survive that long.

According to the Russia‘s Federal Penitentiary Service Navalny felt unwell after a walk at the feared “Polar Wolf” jail, and lost consciousness.

An ambulance arrived to try to revive him, but he died. It said the cause of death was “being established”.

Is had now emerged that Navalny’s body was found covered in bruises and being guarded in a morgue amid claims Russia had him killed.

Navalny, 47, has consistent marks that could show he was “murdered” under Vladimir Putin’s chilling regime after it was suggested he suffered a seizure in jail, said paramedics who saw his body.

A medic, who works at the hospital where Navalny’s body was sent, said: “As an experienced paramedic, 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 hold him down but the convulsions are very strong, then bruising appears.”

There were also signs that someone in the jail tried to save Navalny before he died as there were bruises on his chest showing evidence of CPR.

The paramedic continued: “They still tried to resuscitate him, and he died, most likely, from cardiac arrest. But why this stop happened, no one is saying anything yet.”

Russia gave the official cause of death as “sudden death syndrome” yesterday, say Navalny’s family and lawyer.

His death was confirmed to be at 14.17 local time on February 16, according to a document given to Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya.

Hospital pathologists were allegedly banned from performing an autopsy on his body, the source added.

As soon as his corpse arrived it was quickly transferred to the morgue and two cops were made to stand blocking off the door so no one could look inside, they continued.

The paramedic said: “Everyone wanted to know what had happened, what all the secrecy was about and whether they were trying to hide something serious.”

Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya wrote a message to her husband today in her first social media post since his death.

She posted a photo of them together followed by the heartbreaking caption: “I love you.”

Navalny’s mother went with his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh to say goodbye to his body at a morgue they were told his body was being sent to.

But after arriving they were shocked to find the corpse was missing.

Russian authorities later announced they delayed the release of the body because they hadn’t found the cause of death yet, prominent Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov said.

Reuters

He was jailed for three decades in 2021 but died on Friday[/caption]

AP:Associated Press

Here Navalny is pictured with his wife Yulia[/caption]