Devendra Kumar
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, has made a striking accusation against Vladimir Putin, claiming that he is mocking Christianity by attempting to force Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, to agree to a secret funeral for her deceased son. In a video released on Saturday, Navalnaya said that her mother-in-law is being “literally tortured” by authorities who have threatened to bury Navalny’s body in the Arctic prison where he died. The authorities have suggested to Lyudmila Navalnaya that she does not have much time to make a decision because the body is decomposing.
As Russians across the country are holding impromptu memorials for the opposition leader, who died on February 16 in a penal colony, authorities have detained scores of people in an effort to suppress any major outpouring of sympathy for Navalny before a presidential election that Putin is almost certain to win. Navalny’s death has sparked widespread outrage and protests, with many Russians taking to social media to express their condolences and anger.
Lyudmila Navalnaya has filed a lawsuit to contest officials’ refusal to release her son’s body, and a closed-door hearing has been scheduled for March 4. In a poignant appeal, Navalnaya asked Putin: “What will you do with his corpse? How low will you sink to mock the man you murdered?” Navalnaya also accused Putin of killing Navalny, saying that no true Christian could do what he is now doing with Navalny’s body.
As the Russian government continues to tighten its grip on power, Navalny’s death has become a symbol of the regime’s increasing authoritarianism and brutality. Many Russians are now demanding that Putin release Navalny’s body to his family and allow him a proper funeral. Despite the official narrative that Navalny died of natural causes, many believe that he was murdered on Putin’s orders. Navalny’s family and lawyers have been trying to retrieve his body since late last week, but authorities have refused to release it.
The situation has become a brutal reminder of the regime’s disregard for human life and human rights. The attempted forced funeral is seen as a deliberate attempt to desecrate Navalny’s body and humiliate his family. The refusal to release the body is a clear demonstration of the regime’s authoritarian nature and disregard for the dignity of the deceased. As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that Navalny’s death was not just a personal tragedy, but a stark reminder of the regime’s brutal nature and disregard for human life.