Russian clergy and believers have published an open appeal to the authorities in Russia calling for the body of politician Alexei Navalny to be handed over to his family.
The text of the address is published on the website of the Orthodox project “Peace for all”. The authors of the address emphasize that Navalny was not only an opposition politician, but also an Orthodox Christian.
The open address was signed by priests and people of faith. So far, there are nearly three hundred signatures and their collection continues online here.
The appeal calls on the authorities to show mercy and compassion to the mother, wife, children and relatives of Alexei Navalny.
Here is the full text of the letter:
“We call on you to hand over the body of politician Alexei Navalny to the family, so that his mother, other family members and like-minded people can say goodbye to him and give him a Christian burial.” This is not only their wish and legal right, but also a duty to God for each deceased.
Alexei Navalny was not only an opposition politician, but also a man of faith, an Orthodox Christian. We urge you to respect his memory.
Do not cloud the tragedy of his death by refusing such a simple and human request. Remember that everyone is equal before God. The refusal to hand over Navalny’s body to his family will be seen as a manifestation of cruelty and inhumanity. This decision could lead to even greater tension in society. We urge you not to go down this path.
Show mercy and compassion to his mother, wife, children and loved ones. Every person deserves a humane burial. Even Pontius Pilate, who decided on the execution of Christ for fear of being disloyal to the emperor: “if you let Him go, you are not Caesar’s friend (John 19:12), did not put any obstacles to handing over the Savior’s body for His burial . Be not more cruel than Pilate. Make the right decision.”
Alexei Navalny died suddenly on February 16 in a Russian prison beyond the Arctic Circle, where he was transferred at the beginning of the year. Investigators investigating the opposition politician’s death said they would not release his body to relatives for another two weeks as it was sent for a “chemical examination”. Navalny’s sympathizers believe that he was murdered and that his body was hidden in order to erase “traces of the murder”. Human rights activists in Russia express the opinion that the body of a politician is not being returned to his relatives and with the intention of delaying his burial, as the Russian authorities fear that it will become a starting point for serious protest actions on the eve of the presidential elections in the country. which will take place from March 15 to 17 this year. In Russia, the arrests of people who present flowers in memory of the murdered opposition politician continue.
Earlier, the human rights project OVD-Info, created to help those detained during the anti-government rallies, also opened a petition demanding that Navalny’s body be handed over to his relatives. So far, the petition has been signed by more than 80,000 people.
Source: Appeal to the authorities of the Russian Federation by Orthodox clergy and laymen
By filling out this form, I consent to the publication of my name under an open letter at the address: https://www.mir-vsem.info/post/navalny
