Yesterday, I barely managed to hold a ceremony at a Moscow church.
1,000 citizens gathered under heavy police security
Fear of arrest of wife and children, only mother attends
“Navalny told us not to give up. We must hold this light in our hearts.” (A mourner who requested anonymity)
The funeral of Russian anti-regime activist Alexei Navalny (pictured), who died mysteriously in prison on the 16th of last month (local time), was held under tight security in Moscow on the 1st. However, during the preparation process, there were twists and turns, including the hearse being canceled for unknown reasons.
The Associated Press and others reported, “The funeral was held at the ‘Utoli Moya Pechali’ (Soothe My Sorrow) Church in Mariino, Moscow, around 2 PM on this day.” The deceased will then be buried at Borisovskoye Cemetery on the outskirts of Moscow.
According to a video that Navalny’s side broadcast live on YouTube, about 1,000 citizens gathered near the church about two hours before the funeral. Only her late mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, appeared at the funeral that day, and her wife Yulia Navalnaya and her two children, who were staying abroad, were unable to attend. The British BBC said, “If Yulia had returned home, there was a great risk that she would have been arrested.”
Many police officers have been deployed around the church and cemetery since the previous day. There were also claims that surveillance cameras were installed on nearby streetlights. Reuters reported, “Criticism of President Vladimir Putin cannot be expected at the funeral.”
The funeral preparation process was also difficult. The deceased’s mother only received her body on the 24th, and the Russian authorities delivered a message to ‘hold it in private.’ Kira Yarmisi, the deceased’s secretary who acted as the bereaved family’s spokesperson, criticized, “Unidentified people called the hearse company and threatened them not to help with the funeral.”
According to the human rights group OVD-Info, after Navalny’s death, more than 400 citizens in Russia who mourned the deceased were detained under the pretext of political protests. Navalny’s side urged caution, saying, “The possibility of detention cannot be ruled out even at the funeral.” In response, the Russian Kremlin released a statement saying, “No pressure was applied regarding the funeral.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.