Moscow: The physique of Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny, who died immediately and unexpectedly in jail on February 16, has been handed over to his mom, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday.
Yarmysh stated she didn’t know if the authorities would enable a funeral to be held “the way in which the household needs and the way in which Alexei deserves”.
Mourners lay flowers as they pay tribute to Alexei Navalny at a memorial in Russia. Credit score:
Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Basis, thanked “everybody” who had referred to as on Russian authorities to return Navalny’s physique to his mom.
Navalny, 47, Russia’s most well-known opposition politicians, died in an Arctic penal colony and his household have been combating for greater than per week to have his physique returned to them.
Distinguished Russians launched movies calling on authorities to launch the physique and Western nations have hit Russia with extra sanctions as punishment for Navalny’s demise in addition to for the second anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine.
Navalny’s mom Lyudmila Navalnaya.Credit score:
Navalny’s mom, Lyudmila Navalnaya, has been within the Arctic area for greater than per week, demanding that Russian authorities return the physique of her son to her.
“The funeral remains to be pending,” Yarmysh tweeted, questioning whether or not authorities will enable it to go forward “because the household needs and as Alexei deserves.”
Earlier Saturday, Navalny’s widow stated in a video that Navalny’s mom was being “actually tortured” by authorities who had threatened to bury Navalny within the Arctic jail. They, she stated, urged to his mom that she didn’t have a lot time to decide as a result of the physique is decomposing, Navalnaya stated.
“Give us the physique of my husband,” Navalnaya stated earlier Saturday. “You tortured him alive, and now you retain torturing him lifeless. You mock the stays of the lifeless.”
Reuters and AP