Alexei Navalny's body was 'abused' after his death in Arctic gulag, his grieving widow Yulia tells European Parliament as she warns his funeral 'may not be peaceful' and calls Putin a 'bloody monster'

  • Reading time:9 min(s) read
Movie channels                     Music channels                     Sport channels

Alexei Navalny’s body was abused after his death in the Arctic gulag, his grieving widow Yulia has told the European Parliament. 

Yulia Navalnaya, 47, said today that her late husband’s body had been abused and that she was not sure if his funeral on Friday would be a peaceful event or whether police would make arrests.

She also warned in regards to Putin, who she accused of having her husband killed: ‘You are not dealing with a politician but a bloody monster.’ 

Navalnaya was speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 12 days after her husband fell unconscious and died suddenly aged 47 after a walk at the ‘Polar Wolf’ penal colony above the Arctic Circle where he was serving a three-decade sentence.

The Putin critic’s funeral will be hosted at the Borisovskoye cemetery after a farewell ceremony starting at 2pm at a church in the Maryino district, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on X, formerly known as Twitter

The Kremlin warned yesterday that Russians should not to use Navalny’s funeral as a moment for protests.

Yulia Navalnaya (pictured), 47, said today that her late husband's body had been abused and that she was not sure if his funeral on Friday would be a peaceful event or whether police would make arrests

Yulia Navalnaya (pictured), 47, said today that her late husband’s body had been abused and that she was not sure if his funeral on Friday would be a peaceful event or whether police would make arrests

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny 's funeral and farewell ceremony will be held on Friday in Moscow , his spokesperson has said

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny ‘s funeral and farewell ceremony will be held on Friday in Moscow , his spokesperson has said

Russian Police officers guard the area near the fence of the Borisov cemetery where Alexei Navalny is expected to be buried this week, on February 27, in Moscow

Russian Police officers guard the area near the fence of the Borisov cemetery where Alexei Navalny is expected to be buried this week, on February 27, in Moscow

A photo of Navalny lies among flowers near the Wall of Grief monument in Moscow, on February 17

A photo of Navalny lies among flowers near the Wall of Grief monument in Moscow, on February 17

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, right, embraces his wife Yulia, as he was released by a court in Kirov, Russia, July 19, 2013

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, right, embraces his wife Yulia, as he was released by a court in Kirov, Russia, July 19, 2013

The West and Navalny's supporters, including his widow, say the Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured) is responsible for Navalny's death

The West and Navalny’s supporters, including his widow, say the Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured) is responsible for Navalny’s death 

‘These people, so-called supporters [of Navalny] are well known for their provocative calls – to break the laws of the Russian Federation,’ said Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

‘This is a very harmful practice and has legal and law enforcement consequences for those who respond to these calls.’ 

Yarmysh urged Navalny supporters to arrive ‘in advance’ if they want to come and pay their respects as many are expected to turn up for the funeral in southern Moscow.

His allies have confirmed that Navalny’s funeral service will be held at the ‘Mother of God Quench My Sorrows’ church in southern Moscow on Friday.

READ MORE: Alexei Navalny’s lawyer is arrested in Moscow days after helping Putin critic’s mother recover her ‘murdered’ son’s body 

Advertisement

It is unclear whether Navalny’s wife Yulia – who has been living in Germany since her husband’s arrest in 2021 -, his two children or his mother Lyudmila will be there.

The cause of his death at age 47 is still unknown according to Russian authorities and the results of any investigation are likely to be questioned abroad. 

Many Western leaders have already said they hold Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for his death. The Kremlin has denied involvement and said that Western claims that Putin was responsible were unacceptable. 

Navalny’s allies faced a battle with Russian authorities to have his body released to them amid accusations that he was poisoned.

Humanitarian group gulagu.net also claimed that Navalny was ‘cold tortured’ in the Polar Wolf penal colony before his death and requested an independent examination of the Putin critic’s body to find out his cause of death.

It is far from clear that the Russian authorities will permit any independent probe after claiming Navalny, who was serving a 19-year prison sentence at the arctic colony, likely died from ‘sudden death syndrome’.

Navalny’s wife Yulia, 47, has claimed that her husband was murdered on Putin’s orders, and previously accused the dictator of Satanism in failing to pass the body to his family – which only happened a week after his death on Saturday, February 24.

On Sunday, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence service, suggested his death could be down to natural causes as he claimed Navalny died from ‘a blood clot’.

After Navalny’s body was finally released to his mother Lyudmila, 69, on Saturday, she was tasked with bringing the body to Moscow.

She said during a video statement this week that investigators conducting a probe into her son’s death have resorted to blackmail to try to persuade her to agree to his secret burial outside the public eye. 

It is unclear whether the Putin critic's wife Yulia Navalnaya (pictured here speaking to the European Parliament today), 47, will attend the funeral in Moscow

It is unclear whether the Putin critic’s wife Yulia Navalnaya (pictured here speaking to the European Parliament today), 47, will attend the funeral in Moscow

Navalny's wife Yulia (right), 47, has claimed that her husband was murdered on Vladimir Putin's orders, and previously accused the dictator of Satanism in failing to pass the body to his family - which only happened a week after his death

Navalny’s wife Yulia (right), 47, has claimed that her husband was murdered on Vladimir Putin’s orders, and previously accused the dictator of Satanism in failing to pass the body to his family – which only happened a week after his death 

Lyudmila Navalnaya, the mother of Alexei Navalny, and lawyer Vasily Dubkov arrive at the town of Salekhard on February 17 before being told they could not see the body. It was finally handed to Lyudmila on February 24

Lyudmila Navalnaya, the mother of Alexei Navalny, and lawyer Vasily Dubkov arrive at the town of Salekhard on February 17 before being told they could not see the body. It was finally handed to Lyudmila on February 24

A paper note reading "Hello. This is Navalny" is seen among flowers left for late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at the Solovetsky Stone, a monument to political repression that has become one of the sites of tributes for Navalny, in Moscow on February 23

A paper note reading ‘Hello. This is Navalny’ is seen among flowers left for late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at the Solovetsky Stone, a monument to political repression that has become one of the sites of tributes for Navalny, in Moscow on February 23

Yulia Navalnaya received a standing ovation after her speech at the European Parliament today

Yulia Navalnaya received a standing ovation after her speech at the European Parliament today

Alexei Navalny posted a picture with his wife Yulia in September 2020 as he was recovering in Berlin's Charite hospital where he was treated for suspected poisoning

Alexei Navalny posted a picture with his wife Yulia in September 2020 as he was recovering in Berlin’s Charite hospital where he was treated for suspected poisoning 

Navalny's mother Lyudmila Navalnaya during a video statement, in which she said that investigators conducting a probe into her son's death have resorted to blackmail to try to persuade her to agree to his secret burial outside the public eye

Navalny’s mother Lyudmila Navalnaya during a video statement, in which she said that investigators conducting a probe into her son’s death have resorted to blackmail to try to persuade her to agree to his secret burial outside the public eye

Navalny’s allies said they were struggling to find a venue for his funeral, with the Kremlin concerned that any public gathering could lead to protests. 

‘We started to look for a church and a hall for the 1st of March. Everywhere they refused to give us anything. In some places we were told it was forbidden,’ said exiled ally Ivan Zhdanov.

Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh added on X yesterday: ‘We called round most private and public funeral agencies, commercial sites and funeral halls.

READ MORE: Russian funeral parlours have been ‘prohibited’ from hosting a service for Alexei Navalny after his ‘murder’ in Arctic penal colony, Putin critic’s allies claim 

Advertisement

‘Some places say the space is busy, some places refuse upon mention of the name ‘Navalny’. In one place we were directly told that funeral agencies were prohibited from working with us.’

Navalny’s team say they are being barred by Moscow funeral halls from holding a farewell ceremony for him – likely due to fears the funeral could be used to protest against Putin’s regime.

‘We don’t care about the message. Alexei needs to be buried … To have a chance to say goodbye, it is better to come in advance,’ Zhdanov said.

Exiled journalist Bozhena Rynska previously claimed that ‘the authorities will prevent a people’s funeral’.

This refers to an equivalent of the funeral of nuclear physicist and human rights campaigner Andrei Sakharov in 1989 when mourners flocked to bid him farewell and honour his opposition to Soviet totalitarianism.

They would ‘block off the area of any cemetery where a funeral is planned and, under various pretexts, prevent the crowd from entering, so as not to create the image of a people’s funeral’.

She said: ‘Now the presidential administration is discussing how to prevent a mass procession at the funeral of Alexei Navalny.’

It comes after one his Navalny’s senior aides, Maria Pevchikh, said the Putin critic was close to being freed along with two US nationals in exchange for a jailed Russian assassin when he was ‘killed’ in the Arctic gulag.

Maria Pevchikh (pictured), a Navalny ally, said the Putin critic was close to being freed along with two US nationals in exchange for a jailed Russian assassin when he died in the Arctic gulag

Maria Pevchikh (pictured), a Navalny ally, said the Putin critic was close to being freed along with two US nationals in exchange for a jailed Russian assassin when he died in the Arctic gulag

She said that talks about exchanging him and two unnamed US nationals for Vadim Krasikov (pictured), a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany, were in their final stages at the time of Navalny's death

She said that talks about exchanging him and two unnamed US nationals for Vadim Krasikov (pictured), a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany, were in their final stages at the time of Navalny’s death

Pevchikh also revealed that the deal was brokered by Roman Abramovich (pictured), saying he 'was the one who delivered the proposal to swap Navalny to Putin'

Pevchikh also revealed that the deal was brokered by Roman Abramovich (pictured), saying he ‘was the one who delivered the proposal to swap Navalny to Putin’

She said on Monday that talks about exchanging him and two unnamed US nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany, were in their final stages at the time of his death.

She also revealed: ‘Roman Abramovich was the one who delivered the proposal to swap Navalny to Putin…as an informal negotiator communicating with American and European officials, and at the same time, representing Putin, an unofficial channel of communication with the Kremlin.’

Pevchikh said that Putin really wanted Krasikov, who he sees as a Russian patriot, back, but he ‘was clearly told that the only way to get Krasikov was to exchange him for Navalny’. 

She added that she believes Putin couldn’t ‘tolerate Navalny being free’, so he got ‘rid of the bargaining chip’ after he realised an exchange for Krasikov was on the cards. 

Pevchikh said: ‘It’s absolutely illogical, absolutely irrational, it’s the behaviour of a mad mafioso. But the point is that Putin has gone mad with hatred for Navalny. Putin hated him so much.’