Russian authorities have threatened to bury Alexei Navalny on the grounds of the prison colony if his family does not agree to hold a private funeral.
The opposition leader’s team said that his mother had been given an “ultimatum” by Russian authorities during a visit to the penal colony where he died.
“An hour ago, investigators called Alexei’s mother and gave her an ultimatum. She has three hours to agree to a secret funeral without a public farewell, or Alexei will be buried in the colony,” Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokesperson, said.
Navalny, 47, fell unconscious and died suddenly last week at the penal colony above the Arctic Circle where he was serving a three-decade sentence, the prison service said.
His 69-year-old mother travelled to the remote IK-3 prison but has reportedly been prevented from seeing his body.