Moscow [Russia], February 25: Russian authorities have handed over the body of late opposition politician Alexei Navalny to his mother, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.
Navalny's relatives and his team had been pleading with the authorities for days to release his body after the leading dissident died in a Siberian penal colony aged 47 last week under unclear circumstances.
"Alexey's body was handed over to his mother. Many thanks to all those who demanded this with us," Yarmysh said. Navalny's mother, who had travelled to the prison in Russia's far north where her son had been held after learning of his death, was still in the nearby town of Salekhard, the spokeswoman added.
"The funeral is still pending. We do not know if the authorities will interfere to carry it out as the family wants and as Alexey deserves.
We will inform you as soon as there is news." It has been more than a week since Russia's best-known activist died in prison, sparking international outrage from leaders who regarded him as a political prisoner.
Western leaders including US President Joe Biden have blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for Navalny's death after years of what they say was unwarranted jail time.
Russia holds a presidential election next month where Putin is expected to win easily.
Earlier, Navalny's widow and daughter had appealed to the Kremlin leader directly to release Navalny's body for burial.
In a video message published on Saturday Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said that Putin, who describes himself as a devout Christian, is mocking the remains of the deceased and displaying "open Satanism." "Hand over Alexei," she says in the video.
"They tortured him alive and continue to torture him dead. They are breaking every human and divine law."
Navalny's daughter Dasha has also asked for the release of her father's body. In a post published on X she wrote "Give grandma my father's body."
Her grandmother Lyudmila Navalnaya had stated in a video on Thursday that Putin's authorities wanted to force her to hold a secret funeral and had threatened to harm the body.
Putin was actually driven by hatred and a desire for revenge, said Yulia Navalnaya.
"No, it's not even hatred, it's Satanism, paganism." Faith, she said, is about goodness, about mercy, about redemption. "And no true Christian could ever do what Putin is now doing with the dead Alexei." In the video the 47-year-old Navalnaya condemned Putin's war against Ukraine, and said he had weaponized the Russian Orthodox church.
Source: Qatar Tribune