Biden Meets Navalny’s Family Amid ‘Blackmail’ Claims

President Joe Biden met with Yulia Navalnaya and Dasha, the wife and daughter of Alexei Navalny, in San Francisco on Thursday, offering his condolences over Navalny’s death. This meeting follows a tumultuous period for Navalny’s family, with his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, claiming Russian officials are pressuring her into a secret burial. Despite seeing her son’s body and signing the death certificate, she alleges that investigators in Salekhard, where Navalny’s body was taken after his death, are withholding it from her, in violation of Russian law. Navalnaya recorded a video detailing these events, stating that officials, possibly acting on orders from higher powers in the Russian government, are attempting to coerce her into burying Navalny secretly, without a proper farewell. She refused, stating she wants those who cared about Navalny to have an opportunity to say goodbye.

Navalnaya’s video also revealed that investigators claimed to have discovered the cause of Navalny’s death, listing it as “natural,” despite suspicions and global outrage suggesting otherwise. She said she recorded the video because the investigators began “threatening” her, warning that if she didn’t agree to the secret burial, “they will do something with my son’s body,” with one investigator telling her that “the corpses are decomposing.”

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in Navalny’s death, calling the U.S. response “hysteria.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to these latest allegations. However, the situation has drawn scrutiny and criticism from other world leaders who suspect that Navalny was killed for his political opposition. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the U.S. response to Navalny’s death as “hysteria.”

Navalny’s family and supporters have been engaged in a public battle with the Kremlin since his death. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, announced her intention to continue her husband’s opposition work and directly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for his death. Navalny’s mother has filed a lawsuit to compel the release of his body. Navalny was a prominent figure in Russia’s opposition movement and a vocal critic of Putin. His death has reignited concerns about the treatment of political dissidents in Russia.

In response to these developments, several influential Russian personalities, including writer Mikhail Zygar and musicians Vladimir Kotlyarov and Noize MC, have called for the release of Navalny’s body. Kotlyarov expressed disgust at the treatment of Navalny’s family, stating, “It’s just disgusting to watch a poor elderly woman continue to be abused by people who just recently killed her son.” The situation remains tense, with Navalny’s family and supporters pushing for transparency and justice.