The remains of the late Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, have been released to his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, according to his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh.
This development comes over a week after Navalny's death in an Arctic prison on February 16th.
Numerous Western leaders have pointed fingers at Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian authorities, accusing them of orchestrating Navalny's death. Navalny was Putin's most vocal critic. However, the Kremlin has vehemently denied these allegations.
Earlier on Saturday, Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, accused Putin of disrespecting Christianity by pressuring her mother-in-law to consent to a clandestine funeral. Lyudmila had previously stated that Russian officials were attempting to coerce her into agreeing to a secret burial without mourners, threatening to tamper with her son's body if she refused.
Yarmysh, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, confirmed the release of Navalny's remains to his mother. "Alexey's body was handed over to his mother. Many thanks to all those who demanded this with us," she wrote. She also mentioned that Lyudmila is still in Salekhard, and the funeral arrangements are yet to be finalized. The family is uncertain whether the authorities will interfere with the funeral proceedings.
Yulia Navalnaya had previously expressed her belief that her husband was poisoned and that the Russian authorities were retaining his body to allow traces of the nerve agent Novichok to dissipate. "My husband was unbreakable. And that's precisely why Putin killed him," she stated earlier this week.
Navalny, a 47-year-old politician, was transferred to the remote "Polar Wolf" Arctic prison late last year. He was serving multiple sentences on charges that his supporters and the international community believe were fabricated to silence him.
Navalny's death occurred a month before a presidential election in which Putin is expected to secure re-election effortlessly. Even while incarcerated, Navalny consistently criticized the upcoming vote.
In a video released earlier on Saturday, Yulia demanded the release of her husband's body, accusing the Russian authorities of tormenting Lyudmila by threatening to bury Navalny in the Arctic prison. "You tortured him alive, and now you keep torturing him dead. You mock the remains of the dead," she said.
Saturday marked the ninth day since Navalny's death, a day when Orthodox Christians hold a memorial service. Across Russia, people gathered at Orthodox churches, left flowers at public monuments, or held one-person protests to honor Navalny's memory. However, the authorities detained scores of people in an attempt to suppress any significant outpouring of sympathy for Putin's fiercest adversary.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed allegations of Putin's involvement in Navalny's death as "absolutely unfounded, insolent accusations about the head of the Russian state."
Navalny's team announced on X/Twitter on Thursday that his death certificate states he died of natural causes. However, they accuse the Russian state of murdering him. Russian authorities announced last week that he fell unconscious and died suddenly while out for a walk.
Navalny had been imprisoned since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow after receiving life-saving treatment in Germany for Novichok poisoning, an attack he attributed to the Kremlin.
Western leaders have condemned the Kremlin over Navalny's death. Britain's foreign secretary, David Cameron, confronted his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, accusing Russia of murdering the opposition leader. Lord Cameron stated that Lavrov refused to meet his gaze and instead looked at his phone.
Lord Cameron told the BBC that representatives from France, Canada, and Germany joined him in naming Navalny and holding President Putin and the Russian state responsible for his murder. Each nation present was given five minutes to speak at the meeting, which took place behind closed doors.
On Wednesday, the UK froze the assets of six Russian prison bosses in charge of the "Polar Wolf" prison colony, becoming the first country to issue sanctions over Navalny's death. The UK stated that those responsible for his "brutal treatment" would be held accountable.
Lyudmila Navalnaya had traveled to the remote IK-3 prison after her son's death was announced last Friday but had been prevented from seeing his body. The Kremlin appears to be attempting to prevent Navalny's funeral from becoming a public display of support for his ideals.
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