Body of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny released to his family

Kira Yarmysh, the spokesperson for Alexei Navalny, who died unexpectedly in prison last week, announced that the body of the Russian opposition leader has been handed over to his mother.

Yarmysh stated on her social media account that she does not know whether the authorities will allow the funeral to be held "in the way the family wants and in the way Alexei deserves."

WHAT HAPPENED?

Previously, Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, had demanded that Russian authorities release the body for burial, accusing the "diabolical" Vladimir Putin of "torturing" her husband's corpse.

Leading Russian opinion leaders, artists, and activists had called for the body to be released to his mother, and Navalny's mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, had stated that Russian investigators were refusing to release the body until she agreed to a burial without a public funeral ceremony.

News Source: 12punto