According to his spokeswoman, the body of prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has been returned to his mother.

In a statement posted on X, Kira Yarmysh expressed gratitude to all those who had demanded that the authorities hand over Navalny's remains. She noted that the funeral arrangements are still pending.

Lyudmila Navalny, Alexei's mother, was reportedly pressured to consent to a "secret" burial. If she declined, he would be interred at the prison colony where he passed away.

Lyudmila spent the past week near the prison, seeking confirmation of her son's whereabouts and insisting on his return.

After signing a death certificate attributing his passing to natural causes, she was given a three-hour ultimatum to accept a clandestine funeral. Ms. Yarmysh disclosed that Navalny's mother was informed that if she refused, he would be laid to rest within the prison's confines.

Despite the pressure, Lyudmila apparently refused to engage in negotiations with the authorities. Yarmysh expressed uncertainty regarding the funeral arrangements, highlighting concerns that the authorities might intervene and prevent the family from honoring Navalny as they see fit.

Earlier on Saturday, Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, accused Vladimir Putin of withholding her late husband's body "hostage" and demanded its unconditional release.

"Give us the body of my husband," she demanded in a video address.

"You tortured him alive, and now you keep torturing him dead. You mock the remains of the dead."

Ms Navalnaya again accused the Russian president of being behind the death of her husband.

The Kremlin has denied the allegations, calling Western reaction to the death "hysterical".

Navalny died on 16 February in a Russian prison inside the Arctic Circle.

Details about what happened to him remain scarce. His team has offered security officers €20,000 ($22,000; £17,000) in reward and assistance in leaving Russia in exchange for information about his death in prison.

For years, he was the most high-profile critic of the Russian leader.

In August 2020, Navalny was poisoned using the Novichok nerve agent by a team of would-be assassins from the Russian secret services.

Airlifted to Germany, he recovered there before returning to Russia in January 2021, where he was imprisoned.

Attempts at commemorating his death have been met by a heavy-handed response from Russian authorities, with makeshift monuments cleared and hundreds arrested.

May his soul rest in peace.