Russia demands private burial for Alexei Navalny under urgent ultimatum, mother resists
Seven days prior, the unexpected death of Navalny, one of Russia's most prominent political opponents of Vladimir Putin, was announced by the authorities. It was reported that Navalny had died in the gulag while serving a 19-year prison sentence and was potentially facing a term of up to 30 years.
His 69-year-old mother insisted that the authorities hand over her son's body for burial, thereby allowing his friends, family and supporters to pay their final respects and honour the opposition leader who was a thorn in the side of the Kremlin.
The late Navalny's spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, revealed details of the ultimatum in a post on platform X. "One hour ago, an investigator gave Alexei's mother a daunting choice. She can either agree to a private burial without a public farewell within three hours, or Alexei will be interred in the penal colony," disclosed Yarmysh.
Yarmysh continued, stating that Lyudmila Navalnaya turned down the investigator's offer and is relentlessly demanding the return of her son's body. There has been no comment on these events from the authorities at this point.
Heartfelt tribute by Navalny's daughter
Last Friday, Alexei Navalny's daughter publicly addressed her father's passing. Dasha Navalnaya uploaded a post on Instagram, displaying a picture of her posing alongside her parents.
"Love, kisses, big hugs, and I miss you very much," Navalnaya penned on Instagram. This post marks the 23-year-old's first public remarks since her beloved father's death.
The day before, Navalny's daughter and mother had a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington. During this encounter, Biden voiced his admiration for "the extraordinary bravery of Alexei Navalny and his tireless legacy of combatting corruption and advocating for a free and democratic Russia", according to a White House statement.
