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Alexei Navalny: Putin critic’s mother says she has been shown his body

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Lyudmila Navalnaya, the mother of Alexei Navalny, stated in a video that she was shown her son’s body by Russian authorities, but they are pressuring her to agree to a “secret” burial. She reported signing a death certificate at a morgue. Navalny’s press secretary mentioned a medical report indicating natural causes, while his widow believes he was killed by Russian authorities. Navalnaya expressed frustration at officials refusing to hand over her son’s body and alleged blackmail, stating that they are dictating conditions for the burial. She demanded the return of Navalny’s body and claimed threats from authorities.

Navalnaya met with US President Joe Biden along with Navalny’s widow and daughter in San Francisco. Biden praised Navalny’s courage and anti-corruption efforts, announcing forthcoming sanctions on Russia. Navalny died in a penal colony on February 16, purportedly after falling ill during a walk, though his widow accuses Putin of ordering his killing. The Kremlin denies involvement, dismissing Western reactions as “hysterical.”

Analysts suggest that showing Navalnaya the body aims to negotiate a non-politicized funeral. Navalny was previously poisoned with Novichok in 2020, survived after treatment in Germany, then imprisoned upon returning to Russia in 2021. Russian authorities have aggressively cracked down on attempts to commemorate Navalny’s death, detaining hundreds and removing makeshift memorials.

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Russian poets get jail sentences for anti-war poetry reading

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In Moscow, two Russian poets, Artyom Kamardin and Yegor Shtovba, have been handed lengthy prison sentences for their involvement in a poetry reading featuring anti-war poems. Kamardin received a seven-year sentence, while Shtovba was given five and a half years. Both poets faced charges of “inciting hatred” against Russian troops and making “appeals against state security,” despite pleading not guilty. This harsh punishment is part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Russia, where individuals expressing opposition to the government’s actions face severe consequences.

The sentencing of Kamardin and Shtovba is emblematic of a disturbing trend in Russia, where the government has intensified its efforts to stifle dissent and criticism. The poets participated in the Mayakovsky Readings, an event that took place on September 25, 2022, in Moscow, shortly after President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” campaign for the war in Ukraine. The charges against them are part of an alarming pattern of using state security as a pretext to suppress voices critical of the government’s actions, reflecting a broader erosion of free expression and civil liberties in the country.

The Mayakovsky Readings, a historical poetry event that has taken place since the 1950s, has become a symbol of resistance to oppressive regimes. However, in the current climate of heightened political tensions and military actions, such gatherings are increasingly deemed unsafe. The group had previously faced persecution during the Soviet era, with participants accused of anti-Soviet propaganda and sentenced to gulags. The recent suspension of the Mayakovsky Readings in October 2022 underscores the growing challenges faced by those who seek to express dissent in an increasingly restrictive environment.

The crackdown on dissent in Russia has reached alarming levels, with activists, poets, and opposition figures facing imprisonment for expressing criticism of the government’s actions, particularly in the context of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sentences handed to Kamardin and Shtovba are part of a broader pattern of silencing voices that challenge the official narrative, raising concerns about the state of democracy and human rights in Russia.

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