Over a week after the passing of prominent opposition figure Alexei Navalny within a penal colony, his body was finally released to his mother Ludmila today. Despite pressure from the authorities to conduct a private burial ceremony, Ludmila stood her ground.
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Kira Yarmish, Navalny’s long-term spokesperson, revealed that the regime critic’s body, whose cause of death still remains unclear, was handed over to his mother. “Our gratitude goes out to everyone who stood with us in our demand,” she expressed. “The funeral is yet to be arranged. We are uncertain whether the authorities will interfere with the family’s plans to conduct a funeral befitting of Alexei’s stature.”
Ivan Zhdanov, the head of Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation, also acknowledged the public’s support for the family’s right to claim the body. “I believe Alexei would have wanted it this way,” he remarked.
Earlier today, Navalny’s widow, Yuli Navalnya, criticized President Vladimir Putin for the delay in releasing the body. “Nine days have passed since my husband’s death,” she stated. “Nine days since Putin claimed the life of Alexei Navalny. But killing him wasn’t enough for Putin. He now holds the body hostage.”
Yesterday, Ludmila Navalnya shared that she had seen her son’s body for the first time at the morgue, but she accused the authorities of “blackmailing” her. “They imposed conditions on me – dictating where, when, and how to bury Alexei, which is illegal,” she argued. “They were clearly acting on orders from the Kremlin or the investigative committee management. They desire a discreet burial, without any farewell. This is illegal.”
She further revealed receiving threats from government officials. “They threatened me, saying that if I refused a secret burial, they would tamper with my son’s body,” she disclosed in a recording released on opposition websites. “Investigator Vorofiev candidly told me: ‘Time is against you, the body is decomposing.’”
