Alexei Navalny mother says she has been shown his body
The mother of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has said she has been shown her son’s body but the Russian authorities are pressuring her to allow a “secret” burial.
Speaking in a video message, Lyudmila Navalnaya said she was taken to a morgue where she signed a death certificate.
The former opposition leader’s press secretary said a medical report presented to Ms Navalnaya stated he died of natural causes.
Navalny’s widow says her husband was killed by Russian authorities.
Lyudmila Navalnaya said she was being “blackmailed” and authorities were setting conditions for the burial of her son, including time, place and manner of his burial.
She said: “They want to take me to the outskirts of the cemetery to a fresh grave and say: ‘Here lies your son.'”
In Thursday’s address, Lyudmila Navalnaya said she was being threatened by the authorities.
“Looking into my eyes, they say that if I do not agree to a secret funeral, they will do something with my son’s body.”
She said she was told by investigators: “Time is not on your side, the corpse is decomposing.”
Lyudmila Navalnaya was speaking in a video posted to her late son’s YouTube channel, and finished the address by demanding his body be returned to her.