Russia Finally Releases Navalny’s Body; Camp Alleges Delay to Erase Poison Traces

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s body was returned to his family on Saturday, over a week following his death in a Russian prison camp. His camp suggests that Navalny was poisoned and the body’s handover was delayed until the poison could not be traced anymore.

“The body of Aleksey has been given to his mother,” stated Kira Iarmich.

Russia had earlier stated that the funeral should occur in a private setting and at a confidential location. This move by Putin is aimed at preventing the funeral from becoming a mass event.

Until now, Navalny’s mother had only been permitted to view her deceased son but was not allowed to take the body. There were even threats to bury Navalny in the penal colony where he passed away.

Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, accused Vladimir Putin on Saturday of holding her husband’s body hostage to coerce his mother into agreeing to a secret funeral. “You tortured him in life, now you torment him in death,” she stated.

Navalny passed away on February 16 at the Arctic Wolf prison camp in the Arctic region of Yamalia.

Poisoned

Although authorities claim Navalny died of natural causes, his team believes he was murdered. His widow accuses Russian authorities of poisoning him with novichok. Navalny’s life was previously attempted with the same nerve agent in 2020.

According to Navalny’s camp, the body’s release was postponed until all signs of poisoning had vanished from the body.