As of: February 24, 2024, 2:40 p.m
By: Victoria Krumbeck
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Navalny's widow accuses Putin of unchristian behavior in a video message.
He instrumentalizes the church for his benefit.
Moscow - Even a week after the death of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, Navalny's family continues to fight for the body of the deceased.
After the 47-year-old collapsed and died in a Siberian prison camp on February 16, his body is being held by authorities and investigators.
His wife Yulia Navalnaya accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of satanism in a video message and makes serious accusations against him.
After Navalny's death: Widow Navalnaya criticizes Putin - "Breaking every divine law"
Yulia Navalnaya and her daughter urged Putin to hand over Navalny's body for a decent burial.
Putin, who describes himself as a devout Christian, mocks the remains of the dead man and displays "open Satanism," the widow said in a video message published on Saturday (February 24).
“Hand over Alexei.
They tortured him alive and continue to torture him dead,” she said.
“They are breaking every human and divine law.” Hundreds of believers also called on Putin to hand over Navalny’s body.
Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, accuses Vladimir Putin of satanism.
© Yves Herman/dpa
“Give grandma my father’s body,” wrote Navalny’s daughter Darja on the social network X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.
Her grandmother Lyudmila Navalnaya said in a video on Thursday that Putin's authorities wanted to force her to attend a secret funeral and threatened to harm the body.
She had previously been able to see her son's body.
Navalny's widow accused Putin of continuing to torment Alexei's mother and wanting to break her.
Putin withholds Navalny's body: "It's Satanism, paganism"
Although Putin poses in Russian Orthodox churches with a candle in his hand and kisses icons, he is actually driven by hatred and a desire for revenge, said Navalnaya.
“No, it’s not even hatred, it’s Satanism, paganism.” But faith is about goodness, about mercy, about salvation.
“And no true Christian could ever do what Putin is doing now with dead Alexei.”
At the same time, the 47-year-old condemned Putin's war against Ukraine, for which he also used the church.
The Kremlin chief is leading the campaign against the West by relying on traditional values.
“But you just kill, bomb sleeping civilians at night with rockets that were blessed in the church,” Navalnaya said.
The Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill, is a confidant of Putin and an ardent supporter of the war against Ukraine.
Clergy repeatedly publicly bless rockets.
(vk/dpa)