Russians mourn Putin critic Alexei Navalny at Moscow funeral, defying the Kremlin: ‘We won’t forget you!’
- Authorities labelled Navalny as an extremist and cast his supporters as US-backed troublemakers out to foment revolution
- Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critic inside Russia, died in an Arctic penal colony on February 16, sparking accusations from supporters he had been murdered
Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was laid to rest on Friday in a Moscow cemetery where thousands of mourners had gathered, two weeks after he died in an Arctic prison.
The anti-corruption campaigner, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opponent, was buried after a brief candlelit funeral service in a nearby church.
The casket was left open in accordance with Russian Orthodox tradition but was quickly closed after the religious service where Navalny’s parents could be seen.
At the cemetery, Navalny’s coffin was lowered into the grave to the soundtrack of the film “Terminator 2” which his spokeswoman said was the 47-year-old’s favourite film.
Navalny’s death has been condemned by Western leaders and his supporters have accused Putin of murder and of trying to prevent a dignified public burial.
The Kremlin, which has denied involvement and dismissed the accusations as “hysterical”, warned against “unauthorised” protests around the funeral.