Alexei Navalny’s Funeral and Memorial Service: Accusations of Kremlin Cover-up and Calls for Western Action
The funeral and memorial service for Alexei Navalny, the late Russian opposition leader, will take place in Moscow on Friday. Navalny’s supporters have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating his murder to prevent his release in a potential prisoner swap with the US and Germany. The Kremlin has been accused of delaying the handover of Navalny’s body, pressuring his family into a secret burial, and attempting to prevent a public funeral.
Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, announced that he will be buried at the Borisovsky cemetery in Moscow. However, Ivan Zhdanov, a director of Navalny’s foundation, revealed that Russian authorities intervened to prevent the funeral from taking place on Thursday, coinciding with Putin’s state-of-the-union address. They also obstructed supporters from paying their respects at a wake. Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, expressed concerns about potential arrests during the funeral and called on western countries to find innovative ways of working against Russia.
In her address to the European parliament, Navalnaya emphasized the need for accountability from Putin for his actions against her husband and their country. She urged western nations not to make deals with the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine. Navalnaya’s powerful words resonated with those who believe that Putin should be held responsible for the state of affairs in Russia and its neighboring countries.
The Kremlin has dismissed the accusations made by Navalny’s family, while investigators claim that his death was due to natural causes. However, Zhdanov expressed frustration over the lack of cooperation from authorities regarding the wake. He stated that despite the obstacles, people would still find a way to pay their respects to Navalny.
The memorial service will be held in Marino, the neighborhood where Navalny and his family resided for many years before he was poisoned with the nerve agent novichok in 2020. Navalny, known as Putin’s most prominent critic and a vocal opponent of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was arrested upon his return to Moscow in 2021 after receiving medical treatment in Berlin. He was subsequently sentenced to decades in prison on various charges.
The Russian government banned Navalny’s foundation, leading most of his followers to flee the country. Those who remained faced imprisonment, and dissent was effectively silenced when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Navalny was gradually isolated from the outside world, enduring numerous stints in a punishment cell that he described as torture. Three of his lawyers were also arrested, further limiting his legal support.
In a concerning incident, a lawyer accompanying Navalny’s mother to retrieve his body was briefly detained by the police. The lawyer, Vasily Dubkov, was later released but did not provide details about the incident. However, he suggested that it was an attempt to hinder his duties.
Navalny’s allies revealed that they had been advocating for a prisoner swap involving Navalny, two US citizens held in Russian custody, and Vadim Krasikov, a Russian national serving a life sentence for a murder in Berlin. However, Germany’s willingness to release Krasikov has diminished following Navalny’s death.
As the funeral and memorial service approach, tensions are high, and the accusations against the Kremlin continue to reverberate. Navalny’s supporters are determined to honor his memory and seek justice for his untimely demise. The world watches as the events unfold, waiting to see if Western countries will take action against Russia in response to these allegations.
