The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny turned into a massive display of dissent on Saturday, as mourners, including his mother and mother-in-law, laid flowers at his grave in Moscow. Despite a heavy police presence at the cemetery, the atmosphere remained calm, as per reports from the Russian independent TV channel Dozhd (Rain).
Navlany’s funeral: No interference from police
According to Dozhd, mourners were allowed to pay their respects without interference from the police. However, the channel also noted that “spontaneous memorials” to Navalny in various Russian cities had been dismantled, with flowers removed in locations such as St. Petersburg and Voronezh.
The previous day, thousands had gathered to bid farewell to Navalny following his unexplained death two weeks earlier in an Arctic penal colony. Despite chanting slogans against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine, police did not intervene during the funeral. However, at least 106 people were reportedly detained at events across Russia in Navalny’s memory, according to the rights group OVD-Info.
Navalny was laid to rest after a brief Russian Orthodox ceremony, with crowds outside the church paying their respects and leaving flowers at his grave. His widow, Yulia, was not present at the funeral but has vowed to continue his work, expressing gratitude for their 26 years together.
The funeral came after a struggle with authorities over the release of Navalny’s body, with his team facing difficulties finding a church to hold the ceremony. Many Western leaders have blamed Navalny’s death on the Russian government, an accusation vehemently denied by the Kremlin.
(From AP Inputs)