The Kremlin has called Navalny's widow Yulia's accusations that he was poisoned with a nerve agent “baseless and vulgar.”
The mother of deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has demanded that President Vladimir Putin hand over his body for burial.
“I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin. It is up to you to solve this problem. Let me finally see my son,” Lyudmila Navalnaya said in a video message on Tuesday, adding that The plea comes after the Kremlin denied any involvement in Navalny's death on February 16 while he was serving a sentence at the Polar Wolf penal colony in the sky. Circle.
In a video filmed in front of the prison, Navalny's mother said she did not even know where her son's body was.
“I haven't seen him for five days now. They won't hand over the body to me or even tell me where it is,” she said. “I demanded that he be released,” he added. ”.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov hit back at accusations that Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya, 47, was poisoned with a nerve agent, calling her claims “baseless and vulgar.”
Peskov said he was “not familiar” with Navalnaya's remarks in a video address broadcast on Monday, but added: “I take into account that Yulia Navalnaya was widowed a few days ago.” , declined further comment. The Kremlin said Putin had not seen her video statement.
Three days after her husband's death, and less than a month before Russia's presidential election, Navalnaya released a video expressing her determination to fight for a “free Russia.”
She said authorities had not yet handed over Mr. Navalny's body to his elderly mother because they were waiting for traces of the Novichok nerve agent to be found on his body.
Navalny's allies quoted Russian investigators as saying authorities could not yet hand over Navalny's body because it would take at least 14 days to conduct various chemical tests on it.
Navalnaya also called on the European Union not to recognize the results of the March 15-17 presidential election, which is all but certain to give Putin another six years in office.
“A president who assassinates a major political opponent cannot, by definition, be legitimate,” Navalnaya said in a speech.
President Putin warned that there would be a strong reaction if foreign powers tried to interfere in the election.
Request for investigation denied
Peskov on Monday rejected the EU's request for an “international investigation” into Navalny's death after a meeting with him in Brussels hosted by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
“We generally do not accept such requests, especially from Mr. Borrell,” Peskov said.
Western countries and Navalny's supporters say Putin is responsible for his death. The Kremlin denies involvement and says it cannot accept Western claims that Putin was responsible.
Putin has not publicly commented on Navalny's death, but it has deepened the rift in relations between Moscow and the West caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Asked about the detention of hundreds of Russian nationals in recent days at events commemorating Navalny's death, Peskov said: “Law enforcement agencies are acting in accordance with the law.”
Russian authorities said Navalny lost consciousness and died suddenly after a walk in the penal colony.