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.
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.
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.
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.”