Alexei Navalny’s spokesperson stated on Friday that the body of the prominent Russian opposition figure is being withheld from his family, unless his mother agrees to a private, closed-casket funeral. The spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, detailed an “ultimatum” given to Navalny’s mother that she must have a closed casket funeral without a public farewell, or else Navalny would be buried in the penal colony where he died.
This claim was further substantiated by Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who on Saturday released a video shared on YouTube and X (former Twitter), alleging that the orders for a private burial were instigated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
An investigator allegedly told Navalny’s mother that she could not hold a public funeral, which Yarmysh says is against Russian laws that insist the body should be given to the family within two days of confirming the cause of death. Navalny’s mother reportedly refused to negotiate with the Investigative Committee, stating that they have no authority to dictate how and where to bury her son. She requested that the investigators comply with the Russian law instead.
In her YouTube video titled “Putin’s fake faith,” Yulia Navalnaya criticizes the Russian president for claiming to practice Christianity while preventing Navalny’s body from being returned to his family. It has now been nine days since her husband’s death, and she stated: “Today is nine days since my husband died, nine days since Putin murdered him. But murder wasn’t enough for Putin. Now his body is being held hostage, he mocks Alexei’s mother and forces her to agree to a secret funeral.”
Alexei Navalny, a recognized Russian opposition leader, passed away in a penal colony where he was serving a prison sentence. The ongoing refusal to return Navalny’s body to his family continues to draw international scrutiny and criticism.
As reported by JURIST – News, the committee’s decision has sparked considerable controversy, raising complex questions surrounding the intersection between legal rights and political maneuvering.