The passing of Alexei Navalny, the leader of the Russian Opposition, sent shockwaves around the globe and shattered the aspirations of numerous individuals who envisioned him as the future of Russia. Russian authorities clamped down on those who assembled to honor Navalny, leading to the arrest of over 400 people across various regions of Russia on Sunday, as reported by the rights group, OVD-Info.
The majority of the detentions occurred in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city.
Alexei Navalny, recognized as the most outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a survivor of several assassination attempts, passed away on Friday at a secluded Arctic penal colony. According to the prison services, Navalny fell unconscious post a walk and, despite the medics’ resuscitation efforts, could not be revived.
Navalny’s demise triggered intense global reactions, with world leaders and activists pointing fingers at Vladimir Putin. US President Joe Biden was the first to publicly attribute Navalny’s death to Putin.
Despite the silence of mainstream Russian media on the controversial death of Alexei Navalny, the citizens of the nation took to social media platforms such as X and Telegram to voice their thoughts without hesitation.
Over 400 people were detained in Russia while paying tribute to opposition leader Alexei Navalny, a prominent rights group says.
Among those arrested is a priest, Grigory Mikhnov-Voitenko, who had been set to hold a memorial service for Navalny. https://t.co/NEuBfKLePH
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 18, 2024
One message left amidst the flowers at an impromptu memorial in Moscow read, “The demise of Alexei Navalny is the greatest tragedy to befall Russia.”
Protests erupted at Russian Embassies across various nations, with demonstrators pointing fingers at the Kremlin and holding the Russian President accountable for the death of Alexei Navalny.
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