The body of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who died last week in a prison unit in northern Russia, has been handed over to his mother, confirmed his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh.
“Alexei’s body has been handed over to his mother. Thank you so much to everyone who has been seeking this with us,” she wrote on X.
Vladimir Putin’s most prominent political opponent suddenly passed away on February 16th, and Lyudmila Navalnaya has been demanding for days that the authorities hand over his body.
Yarmysh added that details of his funeral will follow, and it is unclear whether the authorities will “interfere” with how it will be conducted.
“We will provide information as soon as it becomes available,” she said.
The body was handed over after Mrs. Navalnaya was given an ultimatum two days ago. Russian authorities said her son would be buried in the penal colony where he died unless she agreed within three hours to lay him to rest without a public funeral.
Navalny’s family and supporters have accused Vladimir Putin of killing him – an accusation the Kremlin has vehemently denied.
He survived a poisoning attempt in 2020 and years of harsh treatment in prison, including long periods in solitary confinement.
E.Dz.
