Alexei Navalny, the leading Russian political opposition figure who died on 16 February in a Siberian prison, was buried on 1 March in Moscow. At least 16,500 people, according to some estimates, gathered over the last few days to pay their respects to the former enemy number one of the Russian government.
The church service and procession to Borissovo cemetery, where Navalny is now buried, turned out to be the largest anti-regime demonstration in years. The crowd chanted banned slogans, against the war in Ukraine and the government, despite tight police surveillance. The tribute continued over the following days, with thousands of people queuing for several hundred metres to pay their respects at the grave and lay flowers. According to the NGO Memorial, there are 650 political prisoners in Russia.
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