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 dying.
Russian authorities have repeatedly refused to return Navalny’s physique to his household, claiming an ”investigation” of the causes of his dying 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 stored.
“Behind my again is the penal colony IK-3 Polar Wolf, the place my son, Aleksei Navalny, died on February 16,” Lyudmila Navalnaya stated within the video, which reveals her standing within the snow outdoors 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 informed 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 downside 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 method,” Navalnaya says within the brief video, which then focuses on the golden onion-shaped dome of a church within the background.
Practically 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 dying of her husband on Putin and vowed to proceed his struggle towards the Kremlin and assist be sure these accountable for his dying are punished.
The EU, in the meantime, has known as for an unbiased worldwide investigation into Navalny’s dying.
The Kremlin rejected the decision, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying at a every day information convention on February 20 that ”we don’t settle for such calls for in any respect.”
Peskov additionally known 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 making an attempt 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 clarification.
She created the account on February 19, three days after her husband’s dying.
Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, stated on X, previously Twitter, on February 19 that Russian officers had informed the household that it could take two weeks for his or her evaluation of the physique to be accomplished.
”The investigators informed the legal professionals and Aleksei’s mom that they’d not give them the physique. The physique shall be below some kind of ’chemical examination’ for one more 14 days,” Yarmysh wrote.
”They lie, purchase time for themselves, and don’t even cover it,” she stated.
European Union overseas ministers in Brussels known as for added sanctions towards Moscow to carry it accountable for the dying of Navalny.
”Russia should permit an unbiased and clear worldwide investigation into circumstances of his sudden dying,” the ministers stated 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 by means of sanctions,” the assertion stated.
Poland’s International Ministry on February 20 summoned Russia’s ambassador over Navalny’s dying.
”The ministry known as on Russian authorities to take duty for the dying of Aleksei Navalny and conduct a full and clear investigation to find out the circumstances and explanation for his dying,” the ministry stated in a press release.
Navalny is the newest on a big checklist of Putin foes who’ve ended up lifeless below suspicious circumstances overseas or at house, the place the Kremlin has clamped down ruthlessly on dissent and free speech for the reason that Ukraine invasion started.
Because the announcement of his dying 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.