American officials now estimate that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely did not order the assassination of Alexei Navalny, one of his most significant political rivals. Navalny died approximately two months ago in prison, with his body with held from his family for some time after his death.
According to the Wall Street Journal,a number of American agencies reviewed the report and certified it. It was based on both classified intelligence and publicly available facts, such as the aspersions at cast on Putin during his bid for reelection.
The Kremlin has long denied any involvement in the incident and likewise denounced the report as empty speculation and unworthy of attention.
Associates of Navalny have criticized the report as well, calling it a "naive and ridiculous" conclusion.