Just under a week after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison camp in Russia, his mother was finally able to greet the body of her son.
Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 5:49 PM
Navalny was declared dead last Friday. Officially, he had become unwell after a walk in a Russian prison camp and could no longer be resuscitated. Since then, his family wanted to go to greet the body of the Putin critic, but were prevented from doing so by Russian authorities. Because the autopsy and toxicology examination were not completed.
But now Lyudmila Navalnaya has confirmed to Reuters news agency that she was allowed to see the body. According to her, Russian officials are trying to force her to hold the funeral at a time and day of their choosing. “Russia wants to bury my son in the utmost secrecy. If she doesn’t agree, she says, “they threaten to do something to his body.”
READ ALSO. Navalny’s mother also shares video: “Vladimir Putin… finally shows me my son”
The relatives fear that the authorities will have Navalny’s body cremated on their own initiative to cover any possible traces.
On Wednesday, Navalnaya filed another lawsuit against Russia to force the country to release her son’s body. “I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin,” she testified before the TV cameras. “I ask that Alexei’s body be released without delay so that I can bury him humanely,” the mother pleaded.
If Navalny is buried by his family, authorities fear that the funeral will turn into a major protest event. And Putin absolutely wants to avoid that.
