More than 400 individuals have been detained in Russia for participating in demonstrations following the passing of opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died while in a Russian penal colony.
One of those currently in custody is Father Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko, who intended to conduct a memorial service in St. Petersberg to honor Navalny, as per to Rolling Stone.
Alexei Navalny's Death Sparks Global Outcry
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, 47, passed away on Friday after falling unconscious during a walk at the "Polar Wolf" Arctic penal colony. The news of his death has triggered an outpouring of grief among his supporters globally and condemnation from world leaders. Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was serving a 19-year sentence.
Over the weekend, the OVD-Info protest monitoring group reported that 401 people were detained at events in various cities, including 74 in Saint Petersburg and 49 in Moscow. Spontaneous memorials sprung up across urban areas, with individuals taken into custody in 36 cities, according to OVD-Info.
The group recorded arrests in various smaller Russian cities, including Belgorod, Vorkuta, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, and Tver. OVD-Info identified the possibility for additional detainees beyond the reported numbers, explaining that they only release names based on trustworthy sources.
In Moscow, flowers and candles laid for Navalny were removed overnight, leaving only a few dozen roses and carnations at the monument to victims of Soviet repression. Similar scenes unfolded in other cities as videos and photos on social media depicted the removal of flowers from monuments dedicated to Soviet-era repression victims.
Protests are deemed illegal in Russia under strict anti-dissent laws, and authorities warned against attending any mass rally. Memorials on significant sites, like the bridge where Boris Nemtsov was shot dead in 2015, also witnessed the removal of flowers overnight, according to Al Jazeera.
Navalny's Death Unlikely to Affect Election Outcome
Navalny's death, less than a month before the presidential election, is not expected to significantly impact the results, according to Alexey Muraviev, professor of strategic studies at Curtin University. Muraviev suggested that Navalny's influence on Russian politics was limited, but his death could affect Putin's efforts to engage with the West, drawing attention to his repressive regime.
World leaders, including US President Joe Biden, European Council President Charles Michel, and Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong, expressed their condolences and held the Russian government responsible for Navalny's treatment and death.
Navalny, who had been jailed since January 2021, faced multiple convictions he claimed were politically motivated, receiving a 19-year sentence for extremism. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, warned that those responsible for her husband's fate would bear the consequences.
As international reactions poured in, the Kremlin labeled Western leaders' responses as "absolutely unacceptable" and "hysterical," while China declined to comment, describing it as Russia's internal affair.
Navalny's death has stirred emotions worldwide, with his supporters mourning the loss of a symbol of hope for change and democracy. As investigations unfold, the global community watches closely, questioning the circumstances surrounding Navalny's demise and the implications it may have on Russia's political landscape, USA Todayreported.
