Moscow Expects Washington to Clarify Circumstances of Mikhail Lesin's Death

Moscow expects Washington to clarify the circumstances of the death of ex-head of Gazprom-Media and former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – District of Colombia Office of Medical Examiner and Metropolitan Police Department announced in a joint statement on Thursday that Lesin’s death was caused by blunt force injuries to the head. The manner of death was listed as "undetermined."

"The Russian embassy in the US has repeatedly sent requests through diplomatic channels regarding the investigation into the death of the Russian citizen. The American side has not provided us with any substantive information. We are waiting for relevant clarifications from Washington and official data on the progress of the investigation," Zakharova wrote on Facebook.

Lesin died in Washington, DC on November 5, 2015. Following his death, Lesin's family told RIA Novosti that the former head of Gazprom-Media died from heart attack.

Medical statement of the cause of the Mikhail Lesin's death

© Photo : Government of the District of Columbia

According to the Thursday statement from OCME, the death of Russia’s former press minister remains under active investigation.

Zakharova said that Russia could send a request for international legal assistance to the American side over the incident.

Lesin was born on July 11, 1958. He served as minister for the affairs of the press, broadcasting and mass communications from 1999 to 2004 and as presidential adviser from 2004 to 2009.

He was appointed to head Gazprom-Media holding in October 2013 and resigned in January 2015, citing family reasons. Lesin is also widely credited as the creator of international broadcaster RT.