Alexei Navalny's mother said she was given an ultimatum to agree to a secret funeral within three hours or else her son would be buried in prison.
Lyudmila Navalnaya said she refused to negotiate with investigators because they “do not have the authority to decide how and where she should bury her son,” according to a spokeswoman for Navalny.
Kira Yarmysh said Ms Navalnaya wanted to “comply with the law” and the authorities were “obliged to hand over the body within two days of determining the cause of death.”
The spokeswoman added, “According to the medical documents I signed, these two days will end tomorrow.”
“It insists that the authorities allow the funeral and memorial services to be held in accordance with normal practices.”
The update was posted on X on Friday afternoon, and it is not clear whether authorities acted on the alert.
The activist and politician died a week ago, but authorities denied any foul play and said he fell ill after going for a walk in his penal colony in the Arctic. Russia.
His death certificate stated “natural causes,” according to Navalny’s team.
However, his wife It is believed that he was poisoned with Novichok – The same nerve agent used in the alleged assassination attempt by Russia in 2020.
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Russia “lies pathetically” – Navalny's widow
Mr. NavalnyPutin's death sparked strong condemnation of Russia from the West on Friday The United States unveiled more than 500 new sanctions.
The delay in funeral arrangements is believed to be an attempt to avoid a major public event that could involve protests and embarrass the Kremlin.
Lyudmila Navalnaya said in a YouTube video on Thursday that she was finally allowed to see her son's body but… She accused the authorities of “blackmailing” her..
She said they told her “time is not on your side” and noted that the body was “decomposed.”
“They look me in the eye and say that if I don’t agree to a secret funeral, they will do something with my son’s body,” Navalnaya said.
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Navalny's mother is being blackmailed over her body
Mr. Navalny, 47, was Russian President Vladimir PutinThe loudest critic and the only opposition figure able to mobilize large numbers of people to take to the streets in protest.
He was serving a 19-year prison sentence on charges that his supporters say were aimed at silencing him.
Mr Navalny's team is now offering €50,000 (£42,700) for “valuable and complete information about the murder of Alexei Navalny”.
Mr Navalny in court the day before his death
They also offered to arrange travel if necessary, suggesting they would pay for the escape of those in Russia.
They had previously offered a smaller reward but said it had increased “because many people wrote to us offering to add their money”.
International condemnation of Navalny's death continued on Friday at a UN Security Council meeting.
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron He said the activist showed “incredible courage” but “suffered severe consequences for standing steadfastly for Russian democracy.”
Two years after the start Ukraine warMr Cameron also spoke at length about the conflict.
He said Putin's desire to “redraw borders” and “build his empire” must not be allowed to stand.
“Nothing should matter more to us than seeing Putin fail,” he told members. “We must not falter. We must stand firm.”
