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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s coffin was buried as by Frank Sinatra played over speakers.
Supporters arrived at a Moscow church for his funeral amid a heavy police presence and the threat of arrest. Not present were his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, or his two children, Dasha and Zahar. All three risk persecution from the Kremlin if they arrive in Russia, and currently live abroad. Russian police reportedly detained dozens of Navalny’s supporters who gathered for tributes across the country, according to rights monitoring group.
On Instagram, Navalnaya posted a heartfelt tribute to her husband. “I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to do it so you — up there — would be happy and proud of me,” she wrote. “We will definitely meet one day.”
Navalny’s supporters shouted “you were not afraid, and we are not afraid” ahead of the service at the Icon of the Mother of God church in the neighborhood of Maryino, chanting his name. As his body was later taken for burial, they said, “We will never forget you,” the BBC reported.
Russian police warned against protests over the death of the high-profile Kremlin critic. Independent media earlier noted disruptions to internet connections, with security cameras and fencing installed around the church.
The Kremlin refused to comment to journalists on Navalny’s funeral. “The Kremlin has nothing to say to Navalny’s relatives on the day of his funeral,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. But he warned that “any unauthorized gatherings will violate the law” and protesters “will be held accountable,” independent outlet Mediazona reported.
Navalny, 47, died at an Arctic penal colony last month where he was jailed on politically-motivated charges. His family accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his death, and many Western world leaders have held Putin responsible.
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The Kremlin has sought to limit potential protests at Navalny’s funeral
Previously, funerals for the Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov in 1989 or the Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in 2015 saw thousands of Russians marching in Moscow. This time around, the Kremlin has seemed determined to prevent Navalny’s funeral from becoming a political flash point. Russian authorities installed fences and CCTV cameras near the church where Navalny’s funeral was held, while posters prohibiting video and audio recordings were hung inside the building, the Russian independent outlets Mediazona and RusNews reported. Meanwhile, Russian educational authorities have released a video aimed at schools emphasizing that attending illegal protests can come with prison sentences of up to 10 years, Agentstvo reported. One Moscow university has threatened to expel students who attend a rally on the day of Navalny’s funeral, wrote 7×7. Moscow city authorities have refused to approve a memorial march for Navalny on the basis of COVID-19 restrictions, the Russian journalist and opposition figure Yekaterina Duntsova wrote on Telegram. Russia has previously blocked other political rallies on the basis of the pandemic despite holding large pro-government rallies and events, Radio Free Europe reported.
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