The mother of Alexei Navalny, the leading Russian opposition figure, has sent a video message to Russian President Vladimir Putin pleading for his body to be released.

Mr Navalny died at a remote Arctic penal colony.

In the one-minute video, Lyudmila Navalnaya stands outside the “Polar Wolf” prison camp where her son had been jailed while serving a decades-long sentence.

Russian authorities said the 47-year-old suddenly died there on Friday while taking a walk.

“I appeal to you, Vladimir Putin, because the solution to this problem depends only on you,” Ms Navalnaya said.

Mr Navalny’s mother added, “Let me see my son. I demand that Alexei’s body be released immediately so that I can bury him in a humane way.”

Mr Navalny’s family and aides said they had not even been told where his body is kept. 

(dpa/NAN)