Spokesperson Reveals Russian Authority Ultimatum Mother Of Russian Opposition Leader Navalny About Funeral

Alexei Navalny. (Wikimedia Commons/Micha Total Siergiejevicz)

Spokesman for Russia's late opposition leader Alexei Navalny said on Friday the country's authorities had notified his son's body would be buried in the prison where he died, unless he agreed to a funeral within three hours, without holding a public cemetery.

Navalny, the opposition leader and Kremlin critic, died suddenly a week ago in the Arctic penal colony, where he served more than 30 years.

The mother, Lyudmila (69) has been demanding for days that the authorities hand over her body for the planned burial, so that friends, family, and supporters can pay their respects.

"An hour ago, an investigator called Alexei's mother and gave her an ultimatum. Whether he agreed within three hours to conduct a secret funeral without separation in public, or Alexei would be buried in the colony of punishment," wrote Navalny spokesman Kira Yarmysh on social media X.

Yarmysh said Navalny's mother refused and continued to demand that her body be handed over to her. There has been no immediate comment from the authorities.

In a 95-second video released on Thursday, Lyudmila Navalnaya said authorities were trying to "trick" and threaten her to approve a non-public funeral, something she thought she would not accept.

"They wanted this (burial) to be done secretly, without saying goodbye. They wanted to take me to the edge of the cemetery, to a new grave and said: this is where my body lies. I don't agree with this," he said.

"I want you, who care about Alexei, and for those whose death is a personal tragedy, to have the opportunity to say goodbye to him," he added.

The stalemate over the release of his remains seems to reflect Kremlin concerns that the massive public cemetery for Putin's main critic could be the focal point of the riots, weeks before the Russian elections.

Human rights group OVD-Info said 400 people were detained days after Navalny's death for trying to hold a public warning.

It is known that Navalny's family and supporters accused President Vladimir Putin of the death of Navalny, an accusation the Kremlin has firmly denied.