Thousands of people turned out in Moscow for the funeral of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny on Friday.
Many carried flowers and shouted support for the man who was one of President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics.
Russian security forces maintained a significant presence at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows, a Russian Orthodox church, and the Borisovskoye cemetery, where Navalny was laid to rest.
Navalny died at the age of 47 under mysterious circumstances during his imprisonment at a remote prison camp on February 16.
Support for the prominent Putin critic
Earlier, as his coffin was carried into the church by four pallbearers, some outside chanted: “Navalny, Navalny!” People also shouted, “You weren’t afraid, neither are we!” and later “No to war!”
Following the service, his coffin was again carried out of the church to applause and more chanting from the crowds as the short journey to the cemetery began.
A photo from inside the church showed an open casket with Navalny’s body covered with red and white flowers, as his mother, wearing a black headscarf and with a candle in one hand, sat alongside his father nearby.
Western diplomats, including German Ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, US Ambassador Lynn Tracy and French Ambassador Pierre Levy also attended the service.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who did not return to Russia for the funeral, posted a video tribute to her husband on social media thanking him for “26 years of absolute happiness.”
More than a quarter of a million people watched the events on Navalny’s YouTube channel, which is blocked inside Russia.
Kremlin threats
A crowd of thousands marched from the church to the nearby Borisovskoye Cemetery after the funeral service.
“We won’t forget you!” and “Forgive us!” some mourners shouted as the coffin arrived for burial.
Some 400 mourners have been detained at Navalny memorials since his death, rights organization OVD-Info has said, but no arrests were reported on Friday despite warnings from the Kremlin.
“Any unauthorized gatherings will be in violation of the law and those who participate in them will be held responsible,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian state media agency TASS.
Navalny’s family struggled for his burial
Russian authorities handed over Navalny’s body to his mother days after his death following repeated demands. His mother refused to hold a burial in secret.
Navalny’s team has alleged that they had been looking for a place to bury his body, but Russian authorities created hurdles in the process.
Navalny’s team has alleged that he was murdered at the behest of Putin as the critic was likely to be freed in a potential prisoner swap.
While Navalny’s allies have not provided any evidence to support their allegations, they have vowed to seek clarity about his death.
Meanwhile, the accusations have been dismissed by Russia and his death certificate states that Navalny died of natural causes.
