According to reports, the family of Putin critic Alexei Navalny, who passed away in a Russian prison, has been informed that his remains won’t be released for two weeks.
A spokesman for Navalny said that his mother was told it was being held for “chemical analysis”.
Russian authorities have not confirmed the body’s whereabouts, and their repeated attempts to find it have been unsuccessful.
They are hiding it, according to the late Russian opposition leader’s wife.
Yulia Navalnaya accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of killing her husband in a video released on Monday, in which he vowed to keep up his efforts to fight for a “free Russia”. She also claimed that his body was being held until any signs of Novichok nerve agent poisoning had vanished.
Ms. Navalnaya urged viewers to unite with her and “share the fury and hate for those who dared to kill our future,” her voice trembling occasionally from sadness and rage.
It was announced on Friday that Navalny had died in prison. He had collapsed during a walk, and the authorities at the Siberian penal colony where he was being detained claimed he had never regained consciousness.
As soon as word of his death spread, his mother and attorney made their way to the isolated enclave.
The jail morgue and municipal authorities have consistently blocked attempts to find the remains.
The Kremlin said on Mondy that an investigation has been going into Navalny’s death and that there were “no results” as of yet.
Also read: Russian Politician and Putin Critic Alexei Navalny dies in Arctic Circle Jail
