Hundreds of Russian mourners proceed to line road to pay tribute to ‘murdered’ Alexei Navalny after Putin rival’s funeral

Hundreds of individuals are stilling lining the streets of Moscow to pay their respects to Alexei Navalny, the outspoken dissident who was allegedly murdered by the hands of the Russian state final month. 

Navalny died within the IK-3 penal colony, also referred to as Polar Wolf, within the settlement of Kharp within the Yamal-Nenets Area of Russia, round 1,200 miles from Moscow, on February 16. 

His funeral service happened on Friday within the Soothe My Sorrows Church in Moscow, the place his household held an open casket funeral for his family members and his closest followers. 

Beneath a heavy police presence, Mr Navalny’s mom Lyudmilla Navalnaya was accompanied by his mother-in-law, Alla Abrosimova, who joined different mourners to say a closing goodbye to Mr Navalny 

However greater than 48 hours later, hundreds are nonetheless taking to the streets of Moscow to pay their respects to the useless dissident. 

Defiant mourners have braved the fury of the Russian state, which arrested almost 70 individuals throughout Russia for daring to mourn the lack of the opposition determine. 

Arrests happened ‘in 16 cities’ throughout Russia, together with six in Moscow the place the funeral of Vladimir Putin’s most feared critic was held.

The ceremony happened below an enormous police presence as hundreds defied the president’s warnings and descended on the capital.

Some 18 individuals have been detained in Siberian metropolis Novosibirsk alone, in accordance with OVD-Information.

It’s believed that arrests have been additionally made within the cities of Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk in central Russia.

Mourners following the hearse in Moscow threw crimson carnations because it handed and may very well be heard shouting ‘Putin is a assassin’ and ‘Russia will likely be free’.

There have been additionally unconfirmed studies that Navalny’s supporters have been arrested as they left their houses to attend the funeral.

It’s thought that a type of detained in the course of the ceremony was an opposition politician.

The Kremlin had warned that motion can be taken towards any ‘unauthorised protests’ on the day of Navalny’s funeral, with 400 having been arrested for laying flowers at memorial websites following the outspoken politician’s dying two weeks in the past.

Riot police, who wore balaclavas, lined the streets across the Russian Orthodox church and police snipers may very well be noticed on roofs close to the scene.

Beneath the heavy police presence, an extended queue may very well be seen forming close to the church within the southeast of the capital, with studies saying hundreds have been in attendance.

One individual mentioned: ‘I really feel this can be a funeral for the Russia that may have been.’

Because the coffin was carried out of a black hearse and into the church, loud chants of ‘Navalny, Navalny!’ rang out across the sq. outdoors.

Whereas attendee particulars weren’t identified, the French, German and US ambassadors have been within the crowd, as have been a few of Russia’s final free unbiased politicians. 

The worldwide group swiftly condemned the dying of Alexei Navalny, with many countries suspecting and even outright accusing Vladimir Putin of orchestrating his dying. 

Canada at this time introduced a contemporary spherical of sanctions towards Russia on Sunday over the dying of opposition chief Alexei Navalny.

The most recent sanctions will goal six Russian officers, together with senior officers and high-ranking workers of Russia’s prosecution, judicial and correctional companies, Canada’s International Minister Melanie Joly mentioned in a press release.

Canada’s sanctions comply with the UK and the US, each of which focused Russia with heavy sanctions. 

The US introduced greater than 500 new sanctions towards key elements of Russia’s financial system, together with its primary card cost system, monetary and navy establishments and officers concerned in Navalny’s imprisonment. 

The UK, in the meantime, launched greater than 50 new sanctions that intention to take out Russia’s conflict machine, specializing in suppliers of rocket launchers, missiles and explosives. 

The UK additionally sanctioned six Russian jail bosses in command of the Polar Wolf penal colony.