The Kremlin today dismissed as absurd claims that Russian authorities pressured Alexei Navalny’s mother over his funeral. noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin had no involvement in decisions about the body of the Russian dissident.

Kira Jarmis, a spokeswoman for Navalny, who died suddenly at the age of 47 in an Arctic prison colony on February 16, said on Friday that Russian authorities had given his 69-year-old mother Ludmila an ultimatum to agree within three hours that he would be buried without a public funeral or they would proceed with a prison burial.

His mother had complained a day earlier that she was facing difficulties getting her son’s body delivered to her and had accused Russian investigators of trying to blackmail her over funeral arrangements.

The body of the opposition figure in the Kremlin he was finally handed over to his mother on Saturday in the Arctic town of Salekhard. No announcement has yet been made regarding his burial arrangements.

Asked whether he would comment on the allegation of pressure from officials on Navalny’s mother, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “I cannot make any comment as the Kremlin has nothing to do with it, so the Kremlin cannot exert pressure. This is another absurd statement from these supporters (of Navalny).

“Almost all of them are wanted (by the Russian authorities) and almost all of them are abroad. Their statements should be treated accordingly.”

Asked whether appeals made to Putin by Navalny’s mother and his wife Yulia helped expedite the delivery of his body, Peskov said the Russian president had no involvement in the process.

“The head of state does not manage these issues at all. There are specific services and related procedures that are followed based on established rules for these types of circumstances,” he noted.

Finally, when asked if Putin had anything to do with the issues surrounding the process of handing over the body, which Navalny’s supporters described as suspiciously slow, Peskov answered simply “no”.