Wife of Alexei Navalny accuses Putin of disrespecting Christianity by withholding husband’s body

The wife of Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, has accused President Vladimir Putin of disrespecting Christianity by attempting to force Navalny's mother into agreeing to a secret funeral after his death in a penal colony.

In a video released on Saturday (Feb 24), Navalnaya expressed that authorities are literally torturing Navalny's mother, who wishes to have her son's body returned to her. Authorities allegedly threatened to bury Navalny in the Arctic prison, claiming the body was decomposing, and urged his mother to make a quick decision.

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"Give us the body of my husband," pleaded Navalnaya. "You tortured him alive, and now you keep torturing him dead. You mock the remains of the dead."

Navalny, Russia's prominent Opposition figure, unexpectedly passed away on February 16 in the penal colony, leading to spontaneous memorials across the country. Authorities have detained numerous individuals to suppress potential sympathy for Navalny, a vocal critic of Putin.

Navalnaya accused Putin, an Orthodox Christian, of being responsible for Navalny's death, stating, "No true Christian could ever do what Putin is now doing with the body of Alexei." She questioned the treatment of Navalny's corpse, criticising Putin for mocking the man he allegedly murdered.

Also read: Who is Yulia Navalnaya, wife of Putin critic Alexei Navalny?

Putin, known for his public displays of Orthodox Christianity, has faced allegations of hypocrisy. Musician Nadya Tolokonnikova, a former member of Pussy Riot, released a video accusing Putin of trampling on traditional values. She urged Putin to have a conscience and return Navalny's body to his mother.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed accusations against Putin, labeling them "absolutely unfounded, insolent accusations about the head of the Russian state."

Also read: Alexei Navalny's body found with 'bruises'

Cultural icons, including Tolokonnikova, released videos urging Russian authorities to return Navalny's body to his family. 

Navalny's mother and lawyers have been striving to retrieve the body, with a closed-door hearing scheduled for March 4.

Watch: Alexei Navalny dead in prison, says Russia | Navalny's team says not informed about his death

Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, stated that Navalny's mother was shown a medical certificate attributing his death to natural causes.

(With inputs from agencies)