Alexei Navalny’s mother has been given an ultimatum by an investigator – either she agrees to a secret funeral for her son without a public farewell within three hours, or her son will be buried in a colony.

Mr Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said Lyudmila Navalnaya refused to negotiate with the Investigative Committee because “they do not have the authority to decide how and where she should bury her son”.

“She demands compliance with the law, which obliges investigators to hand over the body within two days from the moment the cause of death is established,” Ms Yarmysh said.

Ms Navalnaya is insisting the authorities “allow the funeral and memorial service to be held in accordance with customs”.