The X account of Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was suspended Tuesday — one day after she pledged to continue her late husband’s fight against corruption in Russia.
“X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules,” a message on Navalnaya’s profile on the platform formerly known as Twitter read.
About 30 minutes later, according to independent Russian news outlet Mediazona, the account was restored.
X said that the account was mistakenly flagged by the platform’s “defense mechanism against manipulation and spam.”
“We unsuspended the account as soon as we became aware of the error, and will be updating the defense,” it added.
X faced fierce blowback in the short duration of the suspension.
In a post Tuesday morning, Anti-Corruption Foundation, started by Navalny, called on X owner Elon Musk to explain the suspension.
“Hey @elonmusk! Please explain exactly which rules were violated by @yulia_navalnaya,” the post read.
“Elon @elonmusk, please restore Yulia Navalny’s account @yulia_navalnaya,” Ivan Zhdanov, director of the foundation also posted on the social media platform.
Others placed the responsibility on Musk, as well.
“[Navalnaya], widow of alexei navalny, account is suspended,” wrote Ian Bremmer, political scientist and founder of the Eurasia Group. “[Elon] owns the platform. elon decides the rules.”
On Monday, Navalnaya pledged to continue her husband’s lifelong work and asked his followers to join her in taking up his fight and honoring his legacy.
“By killing Alexei, Putin killed half of me, half of my heart and my soul,” she said in the video, according a translation of the Russian transcript via Google. “But I still have the other half, and it tells me that I have no right to give up.”
“I will continue the work of Alexei Navalny. Continue to fight for our country. And I invite you to stand next to me,” she continued. “To share not only the grief and endless pain that envelops us and does not let go. I ask you to share my rage. Rage and anger towards those who dared to kill our future.”
The appeal follows her husband’s death, announced Friday by the Russian Federal Prison Service and confirmed over the weekend by his family.
His death occurred while the Putin critic was serving out his 19-year sentence in Russia’s highest security level prison near the Arctic Circle. The service said it happened after Navalny was out on a walk and then suddenly lost consciousness, and the Kremlin has pushed back on suggestions of foul play.
The news, however, sparked a global outcry, as many blamed the death on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was already accused of ordering an assassination attempt in 2020 on Navalny. Putin also denied involvement in that incident, in which Navalny was poisoned.
Earlier Tuesday, Navalnaya called on Russian officials to return her husband’s body.
“I don’t care how the killer’s press secretary comments on my words. Give back Alexei’s body and let him be buried with dignity, don’t stop people from saying goodbye to him,” she wrote. “And I really ask all journalists who may still ask questions: don’t ask about me, ask about Alexey.”
–Updated at 11:11 a.m.
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