Alexei Navalny: Putin critic's mother says she has been shown his body
Lyudmila Navalnaya has revealed that she was permitted to view her son Alexei Navalny's body, but she asserts that Russian authorities are pressuring her to agree to a "secret" burial.
In a heartfelt video statement, she recounted being taken to a morgue where she was compelled to sign a death certificate. According to Navalny's press secretary, the presented medical report indicated that Navalny succumbed to natural causes. However, Navalny's widow insists that he was murdered by Russian authorities.
Navalnaya emphasized that the law mandates the release of her son's body to her, yet she alleges that officials are blackmailing her by withholding it. She claims that authorities are dictating conditions for the burial, including the location, timing, and manner, stating, "They want to take me to the outskirts of the cemetery to a fresh grave and say: 'Here lies your son.'"
Despite her appeals, including a personal plea to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Navalnaya asserts that she is being threatened by the authorities. She claims they warned her, "Time is not on your side, the corpse is decomposing."
Navalnaya's plea for the return of her son's body was delivered via a video shared on his YouTube channel. As of now, there has been no response from Russian authorities.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden met with Navalny's widow, Yulia, and daughter, Dasha, in San Francisco on Thursday. The White House expressed admiration for Navalny's courage and his fight against corruption, announcing plans for new sanctions against Russia.
Navalny passed away in a prison colony on February 16, with prison officials attributing his death to a sudden illness during a "walk." However, Yulia Navalnaya alleges that he was murdered on Putin's orders and vows to continue his mission.
The Kremlin denies these accusations, dismissing Western reactions as "hysterical." Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya suggests that showing Navalnaya her son's body was a tactic to persuade her to agree to certain conditions for the funeral.
Navalny had previously survived poisoning with the Novichok nerve agent in August 2020, which he attributed to Russian secret service operatives. After recuperating in Germany, he returned to Russia in January 2021 and was subsequently imprisoned. Efforts to commemorate his death have been met with a harsh response from Russian authorities, including the removal of makeshift memorials and the arrest of hundreds.
Earlier Thursday, imprisoned opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza urged Russians not to give up after Navalny ‘s death, and he alleged that a state-backed hit squad was taking out the Kremlin’s political opponents, according to a video posted to social media.
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