UN calls for independent investigation
The UN Human Rights Office says it is "appalled" by the reported death of Alexei Navalny, adding that it should be investigated by an independent body.
In a statement issued in Geneva the UN office said it had repeatedly raised concerns about the imprisonment of Navalny, which "appeared to be arbitrary".
UN human rights chief Volker Türk publicly called for his release last summer, saying his lengthy sentence suggested Russia was using the court system for political purposes.
"If someone dies in the custody of the State," the UN statement adds, "the presumption is that the State is responsible."
It adds that this "responsibility can only be rebutted through an impartial, thorough and transparent investigation carried out by an independent body".
BBC NEWS
