Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Investigators Threaten to Bury Navalny at Arctic Prison – Allies

MT

Russian investigators have told the mother of Alexei Navalny that she must agree to hold a secret funeral for her son or they will bury him at the prison where he died last week, the late activist's spokeswoman said Friday.

"An investigator called Alexei's mother an hour ago and gave her an ultimatum: either she agrees to a secret funeral without a public farewell within 3 hours or Alexei will be buried in the penal colony," Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said.

Lyudmila Navalnaya refused, arguing that investigators have no authority to decide where and how to bury her son, and demanded to hand over his body by tomorrow, Saturday, Yarmysh wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

"She insists that the authorities allow the funeral and memorial service to take place according to traditions," the spokeswoman added.

Navalnaya's lawyer submitted an appeal to Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, calling on the law enforcement body to launch an investigation and press criminal charges of "desecrating a dead body" against the officials refusing to hand over her son's body. 

The news comes a day after the late activist's mother said investigators had finally allowed her to see Navalny's body but were pressuring her to hold a funeral for him in secret.

Putin's most vocal critic died last week in an Arctic prison where he was being held on charges widely seen as retribution for his anti-Kremlin political activities.

Navalny's allies announced Friday that they are offering a reward of 20,000 euros ($21,640) and help fleeing Russia for any information about the circumstances of his death in prison.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more