Yulia Navalnaya: Elon Musk’s X forced to u-turn following outcry after it suspends account of wife of dead Russian activist Alexei Navalny

The account in Yulia Navalnaya’s name had only been set up on X one day earlier

The X account of Russian activist Yulia Navalnaya has been reactivated after the social media platform came under fire for her suspension.

X owner Elon Musk came under intense scrutiny from campaigners for his social media platform’s suspension of Ms Navalynaya, wife of Russian politician Alexei Navalny, who died in a Siberian prison last week.

Ms Navalnaya’s account on X was suspended on Tuesday morning, with the explanation reading “X suspends accounts which violate the X rules”.

Yulia Navalnaya, wife of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The suspension appeared to come shortly after a post from Ms Navalnaya, who appeared to call Russian president Vladimir Putin “the killer” in reference to comments made about her by a Kremlin press spokesman. However, later on Tuesday afternoon, the account was reactivated.

The suspension came just one day after Ms Navalnaya set up the account, as she pledged in a video address to continue her husband’s work in fighting against Mr Putin. She already has 114,000 followers.

Ms Navalnaya’s husband’s organisation, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, sent a message to Mr Musk to demand an explanation after her account was suspended.

The message said: “Hey @elonmusk! Please explain exactly which rules were violated by @yulia_navalnaya.”

Yulia Navalnaya's account was suspended by X.

In a post shortly before her suspension, Ms Navalnaya wrote: “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.”

After the account was reactivated, she posted a video of Mr Navalny’s mother standing in front of the Siberian penal colony where her son was held.

"For the fifth day I can’t see him, they don’t give me his body and they don’t even tell me where he is,” she said. “I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin, the solution to the issue depends only on you.”

Ms Navalnaya’s followers welcomed her account’s reactivation.

"The suspension was lifted quickly. Good. Sorry that your right to free speech was interrupted,” said one X user.

Mr Navalny, 47, a long-time anti-corruption activist in Russia and who tried to stand against Mr Putin in the 2018 Russian elections, died while in prison in the Russian region of Siberia. His spokesman said on Monday that his supporters had been told his body would not be released for 14 days.

In a nine-minute video posted to YouTube on Monday, Ms Navalnaya called on supporters to stand beside her. The Russian elections are due to take place next month.

“I am going to continue the work of Aleksei Navalny and continue to fight for our country,” Ms Navalnaya said.

“I call on you to stand beside me, to share not only in the grief and endless pain that has enveloped us and won’t let go. I ask you to share my rage – to share my rage, anger and hatred of those who have dared to kill our future.”

She added: “I know it feels impossible to do any more, but we have to – to come together in one strong fist and strike with it at this maddened regime, at Putin, at his friends and his bandits in uniform, at these thieves and killers who have crippled our country.”