The Kremlin on Tuesday rejected international calls for an independent investigation into Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death in prison.

Why it matters: Navalny's allies and family have said they suspect high-level Russian authorities were involved in his death last week, given his status as Russian President Vladimir Putin's foremost critic and the Kremlin-linked assassination attempt Navalny previously survived.

• "Mr. Navalny's unexpected and shocking death is yet another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression in Russia," the European Council said in a statement on Monday.
• A Kremlin spokesperson on Tuesday rejected demands for Navalny's body to be released to facilitate an independent investigation into the circumstances of his sudden death, ABC News reports.

Catch up fast: Navalny's death occurred while he was in the custody of the Russian state that relentlessly persecuted him after he exposed political and financial corruption within Putin's inner circle.

• The country's prison services said he died suddenly after a walk in the Arctic penal colony he was transferred to in December. They claimed he fell unconscious after feeling sick and could not be resuscitated.
• Russian authorities have told Navalny's representatives and family that the cause of his death is still unknown and that they will not be able to view his body or claim it for burial until a "chemical examination" has been completed, which could take weeks.
• While Navalny was in prison, his allies repeatedly warned Russian authorities were holding him in appalling conditions while denying him medical attention.

The big picture: Yulia Navalnaya, his widow, vowed on Monday to continue his advocacy for fair and free elections and his opposition against Putin.

• In a video statement, Navalnaya said she believes her husband's body has not been released in order to cover up evidence of a murder ordered by the Kremlin.
• Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Navalnaya's allegations and claims of Kremlin involvement from international leaders "boorish," according to Russian state-media.
• Navalny's death came just weeks before Russians are set to vote in the country's 2024 presidential election, which will more than likely result in Putin keeping power through 2030.

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