Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny’s mom has made an impassioned plea to Russian President Vladimir Putin to launch the physique of her son, who died on February 16 in a distant Arctic penal colony, as outrage mounts over the authorities’ dealing with of Navalny’s loss of life.
Russian authorities have repeatedly refused to return Navalny’s physique to his household, claiming an ”investigation” of the causes of his loss of life would take as much as two weeks. They’ve blocked his mom and legal professionals from accessing the morgue within the Arctic metropolis of Salekhard the place the physique is reportedly being saved.
“Behind my again is the penal colony IK-3 Polar Wolf, the place my son, Aleksei Navalny, died on February 16,” Lyudmila Navalnaya mentioned within the video, which reveals her standing within the snow exterior of a barbwire fence.
”I’ve not been in a position to see his physique for 5 days. They haven’t handed it over to me and haven’t even instructed me the place it’s,” Navalnaya says, earlier than straight addressing Putin by identify, with out referring to him as president.
”I’m turning to you, Vladimir Putin, as a result of the answer to this drawback relies upon solely on you. Let me lastly see my son. I demand that Aleksei’s physique be launched instantly in order that I can bury him in a humane means,” Navalnaya says within the brief video, which then focuses on the golden onion-shaped dome of a church within the background.
Almost 70,000 Russian residents have despatched official notes — the Dyatel (Woodpecker) service by way of the OVD-Information group that enables residents to ship official requests on-line — to Russia’s Investigative Committee demanding Navalny’s physique be returned to his household.
As public anger grows over the authorities’ refusal and hypothesis swirls about whether or not Navalny’s physique confirmed indicators of abuse, his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, claimed Russian authorities have been delaying handing over his physique till traces of Novichok poison disappeared from it.
The Kremlin critic’s widow has publicly laid the blame for the loss of life of her husband on Putin and vowed to proceed his combat towards the Kremlin and assist be sure that these liable for his loss of life are punished.
The EU, in the meantime, has referred to as for an impartial worldwide investigation into Navalny’s loss of life.
The Kremlin rejected the decision, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying at a each day information convention on February 20 that ”we don’t settle for such calls for in any respect.”
Peskov additionally referred to as Navalny’s widow’s accusation leveled towards Putin ”unfounded and vulgar,” prompting a pointy rebuke by Yulia Navalnaya.
”I don’t give a rattling how the press secretary of a assassin feedback on my phrases,” Navalnaya, who has vowed to proceed her husband’s work, wrote on X.
”Give again Aleksei’s physique and let him be buried with dignity. Don’t cease individuals from saying goodbye to him,” she added.
When attempting to entry the account, customers obtain a message saying ”Account suspended. X suspends accounts which violate the X Guidelines.” Lower than an hour later, the account was reactivated with out rationalization.
She created the account on February 19, three days after her husband’s loss of life.
Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, mentioned on X, previously Twitter, on February 19 that Russian officers had instructed the household that it could take two weeks for his or her evaluation of the physique to be accomplished.
”The investigators instructed the legal professionals and Aleksei’s mom that they’d not give them the physique. The physique can be beneath some form of ’chemical examination’ for one more 14 days,” Yarmysh wrote.
”They lie, purchase time for themselves, and don’t even disguise it,” she mentioned.
European Union overseas ministers in Brussels referred to as for extra sanctions towards Moscow to carry it liable for the loss of life of Navalny.
”Russia should permit an impartial and clear worldwide investigation into circumstances of his sudden loss of life,” the ministers mentioned in a press release.
”The EU will spare no efforts to carry Russia’s political management and authorities to account, in shut coordination with our companions; and impose additional prices for his or her actions, together with via sanctions,” the assertion mentioned.
Poland’s Overseas Ministry on February 20 summoned Russia’s ambassador over Navalny’s loss of life.
”The ministry referred to as on Russian authorities to take accountability for the loss of life of Aleksei Navalny and conduct a full and clear investigation to find out the circumstances and reason for his loss of life,” the ministry mentioned in a press release.
Navalny is the newest on a big record of Putin foes who’ve ended up useless beneath suspicious circumstances overseas or at dwelling, the place the Kremlin has clamped down ruthlessly on dissent and free speech because the Ukraine invasion started.
Because the announcement of his loss of life on February 16, Russian police have cordoned off memorial websites the place individuals have been laying flowers and candles to honor Navalny and dispersed and arrested greater than 430 suspected violators in dozens of cities.