MOSCOW, Russia: Russian opposition leader and critic of president Putin Alexei Navalny was buried in Moscow on Friday. He was surrounded by a crowd chanting his name and blaming the authorities for his death in prison.
Outside the cemetery where he was buried, some of his supporters chanted and others chanted against the Kremlin and the attacks in Ukraine.
Thousands of mourners paid their respects to the 47-year-old anti-corruption activist, who was killed in an Arctic prison on February 16 despite a heavy police presence and warnings from authorities.
Navalny’s death has been widely condemned by Western leaders, and his allies accuse President Vladimir Putin of trying to prevent a responsible and dignified public burial.
The Kremlin called the accusations “hysteria” and warned of “unauthorized” protests around the funeral.
Navalny’s body was first placed in an open coffin in a packed church in Marino, south of Moscow, for a ceremony attended by his parents.
The casket was closed immediately after the service, meaning many mourners who had hoped to pass through were unable to pay their respects at the Sorrowful Church of the Mother of God.
The body was taken to the Borisov cemetery near the banks of the Moskva River, and several large wreaths were placed around the grave.
“We won’t forget you!”, “Forgive us!” some defiant mourners shouted as the coffin arrived.
“No to war!” some also chanted while others yelled “Down with the power of murderers!” and “We will not forgive!”.
Rights monitoring group OVD-Info said police had arrested at least 91 people attending tributes to Navalny in 19 cities across Russia on Friday.
“Any unauthorised gatherings will be in violation of the law and those who participate in them will be held responsible,” TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as having told media.
“The people who came here, they are not scared. Alexei wasn’t either,” said a mourner.
German Chancellor Olaf Schulz called the thousands of participants “brave”, while French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the “courage” of those who went to pay their respects.
The ambassadors of France, Germany and the United States were seen among the mourners outside the church, as well as some of Russia’s last free independent politicians.
Music from “Terminator 2” — Navalny’s favourite film — was played as the coffin was lowered, according to his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh.
‘Nothing to say’
Navalny’s daughter, Dasha Navalnaya, paid tribute to her “hero” father in an Instagram post, writing: “You have always been and will be my role model.”
Dissident widow Yulia Navalnaya also spoke out on social media, although she did not attend the event, saying in France earlier this week that she feared chaos and arrests of those attending.
“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 make it or not, but I’ll try,” she said.
“I love you forever. Rest in peace,” she wrote.
Navalnaya has also held Putin responsible for her husband’s death.
Putin’s spokesman Peskov, however, criticised the accusations made by her and some Western leaders as “vulgar”.
As the funeral went ahead, Peskov said he had “nothing to say” to the family of the deceased.
Navalny rose to prominence through his anti-corruption campaign, which exposed widespread corruption at the top of Putin’s government.
Navalny was arrested in January 2021 when he returned to Russia after being treated for poisoning in Germany.
Navalny’s body was held for eight days before being handed over to his family in what his team believed was an attempt to cover up responsibility for his death.
His family and team also accuse authorities of trying to prevent a dignified public burial, fearing it would spark protests.
Navalny’s team told media earlier that local authorities had threatened to bury him in the prison grounds unless his mother agreed to a “secret” funeral.
When the bodies were released, the Allies scrambled to find a place to hold the funeral and find a driver for the hearse.
Civil ceremonies where people pay their respects to corpses, common in Russia, were not allowed.
Ceremonies were also held in several European cities, many of which were attended by Russians who had left their homeland.
In Berlin, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Russian embassy, laying flowers, lighting candles and placing pictures of Navalny.
