The death of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny is causing horror, especially in Russia. Given the oppression of Putin’s power apparatus, even public mourning there is dangerous. On Friday evening, dozens of arrests took place at memorial events and a memorial site was vandalized (see also video above).
Russian police crack down on mourning Navalny supporters. By late Friday evening, more than a hundred people had been arrested at memorial events in several Russian cities, according to the civil rights organization Ovd-Info. Arrests were reported in the capital Moscow, the Baltic Sea metropolis of Saint Petersburg and six other cities.
Journalists were also arrested
People came to lay flowers in memory of Navalny, who died at the age of 47 in a prison camp in Russia’s far north, according to official sources. According to media reports, journalists were among those arrested.
In Moscow, there was a heavy police presence in the city center well into the night. Meanwhile, people waited in a long line to place flowers at the so-called Solovetsky Stone, which is dedicated to the victims of political repression. The EU ambassador to Russia also laid a bouquet of flowers there (see X-Post below). Many were allowed to go to the stone, but were intimidated by police officers and constantly warned to leave the place quickly.
Flowers were hastily cleared away
Late on Friday evening, unknown men in black clothing – probably police officers – were seen destroying the monument: they quickly put the many flowers laid down in garbage bags. A video from independent media platform SOTA shows uniformed police officers standing guard nearby (see above).
Especially since the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine, about two years ago, the Russian power apparatus has taken harsh and repressive measures against dissidents at home. That is why there are hardly any major protests anymore.
However, news of Navalny’s death is leading to new criticism of Putin, who wants to be confirmed for another six years in presidential elections in less than a month.
Source: Krone
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