"We will not forget"

Today’s Navalny funeral could be delayed

(Bild: AP)

Russian Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny was buried in Moscow on Friday. Despite warnings from the Kremlin, thousands of people gathered at the funeral service to say their goodbyes. The police were on site with a large contingent and metal barriers were erected on the square in front of the church. Many protested openly against Putin.

Relatives bid farewell at the open coffin in the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Alleviate my sorrow" in the southeastern district of Marjino. Navalny's team showed in a livestream on YouTube how the body lay covered in flowers in the coffin, surrounded by numerous people during the service. Alexei Navalny's face could also be seen. His mother, holding a candle, and his father sat by the coffin during the ceremony.

The coffin was then transported to the Borissov cemetery for burial. An orchestra played funeral music. The song "My Way" was played. The body was covered with a cloth before the coffin was closed and lowered into the ground.

Risk too great: Navalny's widow did not attend
The widow Yulia Navalnaya, daughter Darya and son Zakhar did not attend the funeral service because they are abroad for their own safety. Navalny's wife had accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of murdering her husband. This would put her at risk of arrest in Russia. Navalny's team is also not in the country because his associates, who are considered extremists, would also be arrested immediately. However, Yulia Navalnaya said goodbye to her husband with a loving video message. In it, she promised to do her best "to make you proud of me" and thanked him for "26 years of absolute happiness".

Thousands say goodbye
Despite a large contingent of police and other uniformed security forces, many of them wearing masks, the crowd was huge. A two-kilometer-long queue had formed in front of the church with people waiting to say goodbye to Navalny. They often carried flowers in their hands and crowded around the metal bars. Many praised the politician's courage in his fight against ruler Vladimir Putin. A livestream on YouTube showed men pulling the coffin out of a black van and carrying it into the church in step.

"We do not forget!"
Some shouted: "You weren't afraid. And we are not afraid." Many people clapped and shouted Navalny's name. Some also shouted: "We do not forget, we do not forgive!". After the funeral service, the brown coffin was carried out of the church and transported to the funeral. There had been delays beforehand as the body was released to the relatives later than planned.

The authorities' fears that people might openly protest against Putin were well-founded. "Russia without Putin!", "Putin is a murderer!", "Russia will be free!" and "No to war!" chanted people in chorus, as reporters reported. They spoke of a tense atmosphere in view of the large contingent of uniformed Omon special police.

Documents checked
Navalny kept the power apparatus on edge even after his death: dozens of emergency vehicles and uniformed personnel had already taken up positions early on Friday morning. Documents and personal belongings of passers-by were checked. According to reports, a notice was posted at the church asking people not to film or take photographs. The mobile internet was reportedly shut down. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had explained in advance that every citizen would bear responsibility for participating in unauthorized actions on the street.

Here you can see a video of the queue in front of the church.

No visa for Green politician
Austria was represented at the funeral by Werner Almhofer, the ambassador in Moscow. Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, foreign policy spokesperson for the Greens, was not granted a visa and instead laid a wreath in front of the Russian embassy in Vienna. NEOS MP Stephanie Krisper also took part in the memorial service. NEOS foreign policy spokesperson and EU top candidate Helmut Brandstätter laid a wreath in front of the Russian Consulate General in Salzburg. SPÖ MP Petra Bayr, foreign policy spokesperson for the SPÖ, emphasized the responsibility of the Putin regime for Navalny's death via a press release.

According to the authorities, Navalny died on February 16 in the Siberian prison camp with the unofficial name "Polar Wolf". He was 47 years old. The exact circumstances of his death have not yet been clarified. The politician is said to have been weak. According to official reports, he collapsed during a tour of the icy prison yard and could not be revived. According to Navalny's team, the death certificate mentions "natural" causes.