Alexey Navalny buried in Moscow, thousands attend funeral, chanting his name, anti-Putin slogans

Hundreds of arrests across Russia following anti-regime protests.

Russian dissident Alexey Navalny was buried in Moscow on Friday amid tight security, two weeks after he died suddenly at the age of 47 in an Arctic penal colony, Reuters reports. According to estimates by independent Russian journalists, thousands of Russians came to say goodbye to the Russian opposition leader.

The funeral ceremony began at the Borisovskoe cemetery in Moscow. The coffin with the lifeless body of Alexei Navalny is lowered into the grave to the song “My way” by Frank Sinatra, said the lawyer of the Russian dissident, Ivan Zhdanov, according to Meduza.

“We will not forget you!” and “Forgive us!” shouted Russian mourners who went to the cemetery to bid farewell to the Kremlin critic. Thousands of people came to pay their respects to Alexei Navalny, despite the fact that only a small number of people were allowed to enter the funeral service. The people marched to the cemetery.

The Russian opposition leader’s anti-corruption foundation posted television footage of people throwing flowers at Navalny’s hearse while shouting “Thank you, Alexei!“. A Russian Telegram channel also posted images of people throwing flowers as police guarded people.

Putin is criminal!” shouted Russians who went to say goodbye to the Russian opposition leader.

“Russia will be free,” the crowd chanted As the coffin was taken out of the church, people in the crowd could be seen throwing flowers at the hearse carrying the coffin of the Russian opposition leader. Some were also heard chanting “executioners!”, “Russia will be free!”, “Russia without Putin” and “No to war!”.
According to images published on Twitter by BBC journalist Francis Scarr, people were standing in long queues to enter the church to say goodbye.
The press agencies and newspapers in Russia imposed a genuine media “black out” regarding the funeral of Alexei Navalny, the most well-known opponent of President Vladimir Putin in recent years.
Alexei Navalnyi’s parents, Anatoli Navalnyi and Liudmila Navalnaya, attended the funeral service. Alexey’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya could not attend her husband’s funeral, for fear of immediate arrest, say members of the foundation. Nor, likely, can their two children, Zakhar and Daria.
However, Yulia posted a touching message: “I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try my best to make you up there happy for me and proud of me. I don’t know if I’ll manage it or not, but I will try,” she said, alluding to her pledge to continue her husband’s work to bring democracy and freedom to Russia.

The U.S. ambassador to Moscow and several other Western diplomats attended the funeral.

Aleksei Navalny’s work was dedicated to sharing a vision of a better future for Russia and all Russians. And ultimately, he gave his life for his patriotic service. For many Russians, he remains a symbol of what Russia could and should be,” the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in a post on Telegram.

Two hours before the service, an intense police presence was visible around the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the Marino neighborhood, where Navalny lived. Arrests have already been reported, with several supporters of Navalny being detained as they left their apartments to attend the funeral, according to The Guardian.

At least 128 people in 19 cities across Russia were detained by law enforcement at funerals and memorial events for Navalny, according to human rights group OVD-Info.

The most people detained were in Novosibirsk (at least 31 people), Yekaterinburg (19 people) and Moscow (17 people). Several people were also detained in St. Petersburg, Tyumen, Voronezh and other cities.
Among those detained in Novosibirsk were an independent City Council deputy and an assistant to another independent deputy.

In Tomsk, police cordoned off the monument to the repressed — the Stone of Sorrow. Journalists and people who brought flowers to the monument were taken away by the police, who then removed the flowers.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the world leaders who commented on the courage of the Russians who attended Navalny’s funeral.

“Aleksei Navalny paid for his fight for democracy and freedom with his life,” Scholz wrote on X.

“After his death, courageous Russians are carrying on his legacy: Many of them were at the funeral today and took a big risk — for freedom.”

Macron said: “It took a lot of courage to go pay tribute to Aleksei Navalny. Thousands of Russians found it within themselves.
This is his legacy.”

Alexey NavalnyArctic penal colonyburieddissidentfuneralMoscowmurdereropponentsparentsPutinRussians
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