Dmitri Mouratov, who is not only a journalist but also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, along with the esteemed director Andreï Zviaguintsev, the renowned writer Viktor Chenderovitch, and vocal activist Nadejda Tolokonnikova from the protest group Pussy Riot, have all made an urgent request to the Kremlin. They are asking for the body of the former primary opponent of Putin to be returned to his family.
Over twenty influential figures from Russia’s cultural and media sectors, who are known for their criticism of the Kremlin, are urging authorities to hand over the body of Alexei Navalny to his loved ones. Navalny’s mother claims that Moscow wishes to carry out a secretive burial of the opponent.
The team of the anti-corruption activist, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances in his Arctic penal colony on February 16, has been disseminating calls from various personalities on social media since Thursday evening. Dmitri Mouratov, who is the editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, stated, “It’s a disgrace to utter these words in a country that still claims to be Christian, however, please return Lyudmila Ivanovna (Alexei Navalny’s mother) her son.” The writer Viktor Chenderovitch, who was labeled a “foreign agent” by Moscow because of his criticism of the Ukraine offensive, asserted that “Putin was terrified of Navalny during his lifetime. Even in death – after killing Navalny, Putin continues to fear him.”.
Navalny’s team alleges that the Russian authorities murdered the opponent while he was in prison and are trying to prevent a public funeral to deter any show of support from the Russian public. Navalny’s mother, Lioudmila Navalnaia, spoke out on Thursday after finally being allowed to see her son’s body. She accuses the Russian authorities of blackmailing her into having him buried secretly.
Last week, hundreds of people in Russia were arrested by the authorities for publicly remembering the chief opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has yet to make any public comments about this death.
