Alexei Navalny's mother Lyudmila Navalnaya calls Vladimir Putin to return his body

Alexei Navalny's mother Lyudmila Navalnaya has called on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to return her son's body after his alleged murder in a prison.

Earlier on Friday, she said she had been attempting to visit him for five days but didn't even know where he was in a video shot outside the colony where he passed away, according to BBC.

Additionally, Yulia, Navalny's wife, pleaded with the authorities to permit his loved ones to say goodbye to him.

Alexei's family has been informed that his body won't be made available for pickup 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.

According to Yulia Navalnaya, her husband's remains were held until all signs of Novichok nerve toxin poisoning vanished. In 2020, there was an attempt to poison Navalny and he survived.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the accusations "unfounded and vulgar", but added that since Navalnaya was widowed just days ago he wouldn't comment further.

Moreover, President Putin received a direct appeal from Navalny's mother outside the Polar Wolf prison colony in Siberia, where his death was declared on February 16.

"I've not been able to see him for five days, they're refusing to give his body to me, and they're not even saying where he is," she said.

"I'm asking you, Vladimir Putin - it all depends on you alone. Let me finally see my son. I demand that Alexei's body is released immediately so I can give him a decent burial," she added.