The physique of Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny has been handed over to his mom, his spokesperson has mentioned.
“Alexei’s body was given to his mother. Thank you very much to everyone who demanded this with us,” Kira Yarmysh wrote on X.
Details of his funeral have been but to come back, she mentioned, including it was unclear if the Russian authorities would “interfere” or if it could be carried out as “the family wants and Alexei deserves”.
“We will provide information as it becomes available,” she mentioned.
Mr Navalny’s mom Lyudmila Navalnaya was given an ultimatum yesterday, with officers saying the Kremlin critic can be buried within the penal colony the place he died except she agreed inside three hours to put him to relaxation with no public funeral.
Ms Navalnaya refused to barter with investigators as a result of “they do not have the authority to decide how and where she should bury her son”, Ms Yarmysh mentioned.
Mr Navalny was probably the most well-known critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and campaigned towards official corruption. He additionally led main anti-Kremlin protests.
His demise within the penal colony on 16 February prompted mourners throughout Russia to attend memorials with flowers and candles. Hundreds have been arrested.
While the reason for his demise stays unknown, Western leaders together with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have made clear they maintain Mr Putin accountable.
Mr Navanly’s widow Yulia Navalnaya and his mom additionally blame the Russian regime for the demise of the 47-year-old activist.
Earlier on Saturday, Yulia Navalnaya accused Mr Putin of mocking Christianity by attempting to drive Mr Navalny’s mom to comply with a secret funeral for her son.
“No true Christian could ever do what Putin is now doing with the body of Alexei,” she mentioned, including: “What will you do with his corpse? How low will you sink to mock the man you murdered?”
The widow additionally mentioned in a video launched on Saturday that his mom had been “literally tortured” by officers who threatened to bury her son within the Arctic jail.
She mentioned the authorities prompt to Mr Navalny’s mom that she did not have a lot time to decide as a result of his physique was decomposing.
“Give us the body of my husband,” Ms Navalnaya mentioned. “You tortured him alive, and now you keep torturing him dead. You mock the remains of the dead.”
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On Thursday his mom mentioned investigators had allowed her to see her son’s physique within the morgue within the Arctic metropolis of Salekhard.
She filed a lawsuit at a courtroom in Salekhard contesting officers’ refusal to launch the physique, and a closed-door listening to had been scheduled for 4 March.
On Friday, Mr Navalny’s daughter Dasha shared a photograph of her along with her mother and father as a baby, and the message: “I love you, kiss you, hug you tightly, and miss you very, very much.”
It was her first direct tribute to her father since his demise was confirmed per week in the past.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has rejected allegations that Mr Putin was concerned in Mr Navalny’s demise, calling them “absolutely unfounded, insolent accusations about the head of the Russian state”.
Saturday marks 9 days for the reason that opposition chief’s demise, a day when Orthodox Christians maintain a memorial service.
Residents of a number of Russian cities got here out to mark the event and honour Mr Navalny’s reminiscence by leaving flowers at public monuments or holding one-person protests.
At least 27 had been detained in 9 Russian cities by 12.45pm native time on Saturday, in response to the OVD-Info rights group.
Source: information.sky.com”