Relative Denied Access to Swimmer's Body in Istanbul Morgue

A relative of swimmer Nikolai Sveshnikov, who disappeared during a swim in August, was not allowed to identify the body, MSK1.RU reported, citing Alena Karaman. This occurred after a body found in the Bosphorus was delivered to the morgue of the Istanbul Institute of Forensic Medicine tonight. The drowned man is suspected to be the Russian swimmer.

‘I came to somehow understand the circumstances of Kolya’s case. They are not letting me identify the body because I am not a close relative,’ Alena told MSK1.RU.

As the girl reported, a prosecutor handling the investigation arrived at the morgue. To help forensic experts determine the identity of the unknown man, Alena provided several photos of the missing Nikolai that could aid in identification.

‘I gave a photo of the groin tattoo to the forensic expert. She took it from me to compare it with the body of the found man, but the answer to whether it is Nikolai or not will still only be given to the parents,’ Alena told us.

Nikolai Sveshnikov«s parents are ready to fly to Turkey to personally identify the body. Police need to match the DNA of the swimmer»s father and mother with samples from the found man. Only after that will it be clear whether the body found in the Bosphorus belongs to the missing Russian or if the search will continue. The family is also prepared to reopen a fundraiser.

MSK1.RU is following the developments. All news about what happened in August 2025 in Istanbul with Russian swimmer Nikolai Sveshnikov is collected in a special section.