In a statement, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said, "Australia holds President Putin and the Russian Government responsible for Mr Navalny's treatment and death in custody."
Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died mysteriously in prison, posted for the first time on Sunday after her husband's death.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, has confirmed his death and demanded that his body be handed over to his family "immediately."
The death of the jailed Russian opposition leader, 47, has been reported by state media which further cited the prison service of the Yamalo-Nenets region where he had been serving his sentence. Al Jazeera cited a statement put out by state media quoting the prison service of the Yamalo-Nene
"Deeply disturbed and saddened by news of the death of Alexei Navalny. Putin fears nothing more than dissent from his own people. A grim reminder of what Putin and his regime are all about. Let's unite in our fight to safeguard the freedom and safety of those who dare to stand up against
state media quoting the prison service of the Yamalo-Nenets region which said that Navalny "felt bad" after a walk and lost consciousness "almost immediately".
Despite being in a long jail sentence in Siberia, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said in his New Year message that he does not feel lonely and is in a "great" mood, but he still misses spending time with his family and friends in person, CNN reported.
The event, held at the Mutabor club on December 20-21, faced strong opposition from Orthodox Church officials, pro-war activists, and pro-Kremlin lawmakers, especially considering the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.