The family members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ardent critic Alexei Navalny, who was found dead in a Russian prison, have been informed that the authorities will not release his body, as per reports.
Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said that his mother was informed by the officials that his body is being held for “chemical analysis” and will be handed over to them after two weeks.
Russian authorities have not yet confirmed the whereabouts of his dead body as efforts are still being made to locate it.
Late Russian opposition leader’s wife Yulia Navalnaya has accused the Russian officials of hiding it.
Navalny’s wife vows to fight for a ‘free Russia’
Sharing a video on Monday (Feb 19), Alexei Navalny’s wife Yulia Navalnaya vowed to continue his work of fighting for a “free Russia” and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of killing his critic and her husband.
She further alleged that the officials have been keeping his body to ensure that all the trace of poisoning by the nerve agent Novichok is removed.
In the video, Navalnaya’s voice shook with grief and anger as she asked the viewers to stand alongside her and “share the fury and hate for those who dared to kill our future”.
The death of Navalny in a Russian prison was announced by the authorities on Friday (Feb 16). The Siberian penal colony’s authorities said that Navalny did not regain consciousness after he suddenly collapsed.
As soon as his death was announced, Navalny’s mother and lawyer travelled to the remote colony.
Watch: Alexei Navalny death: Navalny’s widow accuses Putin of killing him and vows to continue his work
The local authorities and prison mortuary have repeatedly pushed back the efforts of the family members to locate the body.
The Kremlin on Monday (Feb 19) said that an investigation into the death of Navalny was ongoing and that there were “no results” till now.
Nations point finger at Putin over ‘Navalny’s death’
Western leaders blamed President Putin for Navalny’s death. Speaking to reporters on Monday (Feb 19), US President Joe Biden said, “The fact of the matter is: Putin is responsible, whether he ordered it or he is responsible for the circumstances he put that man in.”
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that Navalny had been “slowly murdered in a Russian jail by Putin’s regime”.
The United States and the European Union said that they have considering to impose new sanctions on Russia after Navalny’s death.
(With inputs from agencies)
