POLAR WOLF, Russia: The mother of Putin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison, called on President Vladimir Putin to release his body as soon as possible.
In a video shot outside the colony where he died Friday, Lyudmila Navalnaya said she had been trying to see him for five days but didn’t even know where his dead body was.
Navalny’s wife, Julia, also urged the authorities not to prevent his loved ones from saying goodbye to him. Authorities told the family that his body would not be released for another two weeks.
Navalny’s representative said his mother had been informed that she was being held for “chemical analysis”.
Russian authorities have not yet commented on the whereabouts of the body.
Yulia Navalnaya claimed that her husband’s body was being held until traces of poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok disappeared.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the accusations “baseless and vulgar”, adding that since Ms Navalnaya was widowed a few days ago, she would not comment further.
Navalny’s mother directly challenged President Putin outside the Siberian penal colony known as the ‘Polar Wolf’, where his death was announced on February 16.
“I couldn’t see him for five days, they refuse to give me his body and they don’t even tell me where he is,” she said in a video posted on X.
“I’m asking you, Vladimir Putin – everything depends on you. Let me finally see my son. I demand that Alexei’s body be released immediately so that I can give him a decent burial.”
Ms Navalnaya also told EU leaders on Monday not to recognize Russia’s March 16 presidential election and to go after members of Putin’s inner circle who were still trying to evade sanctions.
