Russia's government has lashed out at Italy and other western countries' "pointless", "unacceptable" and "politically biased " accusations blaming the Kremlin for the Artic prison death last week of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
"Attempts by Western countries to politically exploit Navalny's death and make accusations of various kinds against Moscow, which contrive to foment criticism and hostility towards towards Russia, are pointless and unacceptable in all respects," said a note from the embassy.
The note issued late Wednesday came after Russia's ambassador Alexey Paramonov was called to the foreign ministry and asked for "full clarity" over the circumstances of Navalny's death last Friday. Prison authorities said Navalny died at the Artic Wolf penal colony soon after the dissident felt unwell after a walk.
"Some politically biased assessments were expressed to the ambassador regarding Russia's internal politics...in line with the views of Western countries," the note said.
Navalny's death "is an internal Russian matter and the necessary investigations are underway to identify the real causes of the event...and, where they exist, the related responsibilities," Paramonov told foreign ministry officials, according to the note.
The foreign ministry statement announcing Paramonov's summoning to the foreign ministry said Navalny was "sentenced to prison in very harsh conditions for his political activity and his fight against corruption."
The statement called on Russia to end "the unacceptable persecution of political dissent and to guarantee the right to full freedom of expression, without any limitation of civil and political rights."
Russia's authorities claim all efforts to resuscitate 47-year-old Navalny were unsuccessful. The cause of death is still unknown and Russian authorities have refused to release his body for the next two weeks as a preliminary inquest continues, according to Navalny's team
A cross-party candlelit vigil for Navalny was held at Rome's Campidoglio town hall on Monday and the centrist Italia Viva party has called for a street in the capital to be named after him.
Germany, Finland, Spain, Sweden, France and Poland are among countries that have also summoned their Russian ambassadors to demand "full transparency" over Navalny's death at the Western Siberian prison, where temperatures can hit -27C.
