Mahiyar Rohinton Patel, Pune
Thousands of Russians gather all over the country to mourn for Alexei Navalny; the most popular Russian opposition leader in 15 years. Navalny died of ‘undisclosed conditions’ in a remote Siberian penal colony about 2000 kilometers from Moscow. Navalny received national attention when he was poisoned on a flight from Russia to Germany. After his recovery in a German hospital, Navalny decided to return to Russia to continue his advocacy for political reforms in Russia. He was arrested at the airport for charges of fraud and embezzlement of funds.
At his funeral, several Western envoys were seen to be present. Video footage shows French, German, and US ambassadors present. Also present amongst the many mourners were some prominent leaders of the opposition. Boris Nadezhdin, the anti-war candidate who was disqualified from running against Vladimir Putin in Russia’s presidential election this month, and Yevgeny Roizman, the former mayor of Yekaterinburg and an avowed anti-Putin politician.
We know very little about the proceedings of the service as cameras were not permitted inside the search and at the actual funeral. Only a very small fraction of owners were able to attend the funeral service. A photograph went viral on social media showing Navalny in an open casket and his wife and parents around paying their final tributes. His body was then taken to a cemetery near the church and buried.
Several people were detained on the morning of the funeral day, and another group of mourners were arrested and detained at a checkpost as they were traveling from another city to attend the funeral. Members of Navalny’s team have said that they have been ‘persecuted’ by the state for trying to hold a funeral for Navalny. They said the authorities had earlier refused to release the body. They also accused the authorities of trying to pressure different funeral houses and churches to not conduct the funeral in their halls.
Though no clear instruction or notification was declaring the funeral illegal, local Russian media reports said that detention vans would be kept on standby. Several Russians at the scene said that they had received warnings from the police not to attend the event.