OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP
Lyudmila Navalnaya (left), mother of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, visits her son's grave at Borisovo Cemetery in Moscow on March 2, 2024. She is accompanied by Alla, the mother of Navalny's widow.
INTERNATIONAL – A discreet sign of the cross and flowers placed under the watchful eyes of the police. The mother of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny visited her son's grave this Saturday, March 2, a day after his funeral, where thousands of Russians paid tribute to him despite the risk of arrest. This Saturday morning, many people still went to the Borissovo cemetery in southern Moscow to lay flowers, while there is a constant police presence there.
The mother of the late anti-corruption activist Lyudmila Navalnaya entered the cemetery in the morning. She was accompanied by Alla Abrossimova, the mother of Alexei Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya, as you can see in the photo below. The two women appeared together this Friday during the coffin burial.
OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP
Lyudmila Navalnaya (left), mother of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, visits her son's grave at Borisovo Cemetery in Moscow on March 2, 2024. She is accompanied by Alla, the mother of Navalny's widow.
However, Alexei Navlany's widow, Yulia Navalnaïa, as well as the couple's two children and her brother were not present at the funeral. They live abroad to protect themselves and could have been arrested for opposing the Kremlin. Alexei Navalny's widow has vowed to continue her husband's work and has repeatedly said in recent days that Vladimir Putin “murdered” him.
“Continue to live the way Alexei wants”
Many anonymous people continued to flood the grave of Vladimir Putin's No. 1 opponent with colorful flowers, candles and letters. Speaking to AFP, Natalia, a 50-year-old artist, said she felt a mix of “sadness, despair and hope”. “But after all, Alexei asked us not to despair and fight,” she notes, at a time when the suppression of every voice critical of the Kremlin is in full swing, two weeks before the presidential election in which Vladimir Putin must be re-elected. elected without objection.
Vadim, a 52-year-old consultant, also says he is “sad and bitter about the loss of a man worthy of our time” and calls on his compatriots to “continue to live the way Alexei would like: for this ensure that the people of …”Our country and the whole world live happier lives.”
OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP
A view of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's grave at Borisovo Cemetery in Moscow on March 2, 2024, a day after Navalny's funeral.
At least 128 people were arrested during tributes on Friday
On the contrary: for other respondents this Saturday, Navalny's death actually means the end of hopes for change while Vladimir Putin has been in power for almost a quarter of a century. “Everything that was built here with him in all those years was buried here,” complains Roman, a young man of 29 who says he works in IT.
On Friday, thousands of Alexei Navalny's supporters lined up for hours to pay their respects, many with tears in their eyes and shaking voices. As they streamed from a nearby church to the cemetery, some chanted “No to war!” and others chanted pro-Navalny slogans, including calling Putin a “murderer” and calling for the “release of political prisoners.”
The human rights organization OVD-Info said Russian police arrested at least 128 people in 19 cities on Friday who took part in Navalny tributes.
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