Alexei Navalny’s Mother Pressured for ‘Secret’ Burial, Alleges Russian Authorities
The tragic death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has taken another distressing turn as his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, alleges that she is being pressured by Russian authorities to agree to a “secret” burial for her son. In a heartfelt video address, Navalnaya revealed that she had been shown her son’s body but was being coerced into accepting the conditions set by the authorities for his burial.
Navalnaya recounted her visit to a morgue, where she was asked to sign a death certificate for her son. However, she expressed her frustration at the officials’ refusal to hand over his body, stating that the law required them to do so. She claimed that the authorities were blackmailing her by dictating the location, time, and manner of his burial. “They want to take me to the outskirts of the cemetery to a fresh grave and say: ‘Here lies your son,'” she emotionally revealed.
The grieving mother traveled to the town of Salekhard in northern Russia after learning about her son’s death in a nearby penal colony six days ago. This visit followed her previous unsuccessful attempts to gain access to his body. Earlier this week, she personally appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, pleading for permission to bury her son.
In her video address, Navalnaya also disclosed that she was being threatened by the authorities. She claimed that investigators warned her, “Time is not on your side, the corpse is decomposing.” These distressing tactics have left her feeling helpless and desperate to reclaim her son’s body.
Navalnaya’s emotional plea was posted on her late son’s YouTube channel, where she demanded the return of his body. As of now, there has been no response from Russian authorities regarding her request.
Political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya offered her analysis of the situation, suggesting that the decision to show Navalnaya her son’s body was an attempt by the authorities to persuade her to “make a deal.” According to Stanovaya, the condition for returning the body is that the funeral does not become a political event. This revelation raises concerns about the authorities’ intentions and their desire to control the narrative surrounding Navalny’s death.
Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, died in a prison colony on February 16. Prison officials claimed that he fell ill after a walk, but his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, firmly believes that he was killed on the orders of President Putin. She has vowed to continue his fight for justice. The Kremlin, however, has vehemently denied these allegations and dismissed Western reactions to Navalny’s death as “hysterical.”
This tragic incident follows a previous attempt on Navalny’s life in August 2020 when he was poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent by Russian secret service operatives. After being airlifted to Germany for treatment, he made a remarkable recovery before returning to Russia in January 2021, where he was subsequently imprisoned.
Efforts to commemorate Navalny’s death have been met with a heavy-handed response from Russian authorities. Makeshift monuments have been forcibly removed, and hundreds of individuals have been arrested for attempting to pay their respects.
The circumstances surrounding Alexei Navalny’s death continue to raise questions and fuel international outrage. As his grieving mother fights for the return of his body, the world watches closely, hoping for justice and transparency in this tragic saga.