Alexei Navalny's body given to mother as wife Yulia blames Putin of 'torture'

Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, declared on his Telegram account that Navalny's body had been sent to his mother.

Zhdanov announced the handover and thanked everyone who had pushed for Navalny's body to be returned.

Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Alexei Navalny accused President Vladimir Putin of forcing his mother into approving of a secret funeral after his death in a penal colony, earlier on the same day.

Navalnaya emphasised that Putin was making fun of Christianity with this attempt in a released video.

Moreover, Alexei Navalny's mother, who desired the return of her dead son's body faces pressure from the authorities indicating the probability of burying him in the Arctic prison.

Navalnaya accused the authorities of torture and said they expressed a sense of urgency because of the body's purported disintegration.

"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."

Following the shocking murder of Russia's most well-known opposition member, Navalny, on February 16 in the prison colony, there were impromptu candlelit memorials with flowers throughout the nation.

To quell any strong expressions of support for Putin's main political opponent ahead of the upcoming presidential election, authorities have imprisoned a large number of people.

People on social media theorise that authorities are reluctant to return Navalny's body because they are worried about receiving popular support.

Navalnaya made a powerful claim, saying that Putin, an Orthodox Christian, is responsible for Navalny's death. As Russia deals with Navalny's death and its aftermath, as well as the political ramifications, the situation is still tight.