The mother of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader who recently died in prison, is calling for the release of his body.
She expressed her frustration at not being able to see him for five days and doesn’t even know where his body is.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia, has also appealed to the authorities not to prevent his loved ones from saying goodbye. The family has been told that his body will not be released for two weeks because it is being held for “chemical analysis” according to a representative for Navalny.
Russian authorities have not confirmed the whereabouts of the body and have repeatedly shut down efforts to locate it. Navalny’s wife has alleged that his body is being kept until traces of poisoning from the nerve agent Novichok had disappeared. This is significant because Navalny previously survived an attempt to kill him using the poison in 2020.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the accusations as “unfounded and vulgar” but refrained from further comment considering the recent passing of Navalny’s wife. Navalny’s mother made a direct appeal to President Putin to intervene and release her son’s body. She demanded a decent burial for her son. These pleas were echoed by Yulia Navalnaya who accused Mr. Putin of killing her husband.
Efforts to locate the body have been continuously hampered by the prison mortuary and local authorities. On Monday, the Kremlin stated that an investigation into Navalny’s death is ongoing and there are “no results” as of yet. Navalny, who was a significant leader of the Russian opposition, was serving a 19-year sentence on politically motivated charges.
Western leaders are placing the blame for Navalny’s death squarely on President Putin and new sanctions against Russia are likely to follow. The US is expected to announce a “major sanctions package” on Friday to hold Russia accountable for Navalny’s death. Similarly, the European Union and the UK are considering new sanctions and are targeting individuals linked to Navalny’s death.
