Russia threatens Navalny burial on prison land, aide says
Russian authorities have warned Alexei Navalny’s mother that if she doesn’t agree to a secret funeral, the late opposition campaigner will be buried by the state on prison grounds, according to Navalny’s spokesperson.
Lyudmila Navalnaya, Navalny’s mother, was given three hours to agree — or until 12:30 p.m. EST Friday — but she refused to negotiate, arguing that Russian authorities had no legal right to decide the time and place of her son’s burial, according to Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh.
“She is demanding compliance with the law, which requires investigators to hand over the body within two days, from the moment the cause of death is established,” Yarmysh said in a statement released on X, formerly Twitter.
The two days expire Saturday.
Navalny’s mother is “insisting the authorities allow a funeral and memorial service to be held in accordance with tradition,” Yarmysh added.
The ultimatum is the latest twist in a macabre saga, in which Navalny’s 69-year-old mother has been trying to retrieve her son’s body for nearly a week at an Arctic morgue in Russia, near the prison where he died.
His death was announced Feb. 16.
Navalnaya had to wait five days before Russian authorities showed her the body Wednesday. She later signed a medical report claiming he died of natural causes. She has accused authorities of “blackmailing” her, by refusing to release her son’s remains until she agrees to a secret funeral without a public goodbye.
The standoff has led to an outpouring of support for Navalny’s family by celebrities, who released videos demanding that Russian authorities hand over the body. Ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov, Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich, Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov and director Andrey Zvyagintsev were among those who released video messages.
Navalny’s mother has filed a lawsuit at a court in Salekhard contesting officials’ refusal to release her son’s body. A closed-door hearing has been scheduled for March 4.