Unidentified Groups Remove Tributes
Floral tributes laid in memory of Alexey Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who reportedly died in a penal colony, were removed by unidentified groups in Russia overnight. Videos on Russian social media captured the removal of these tributes while police stood by.
Detentions and Police Action
More than 100 people were detained across eight cities in Russia after attempting to lay flowers in memory of Navalny, according to OVD-Info, a group monitoring political repression in the country. Police blocked access to memorials in cities like Novosibirsk and Surgut, detaining several individuals.
Navalny’s Death and Political Ramifications
The circumstances surrounding Navalny’s death remain unclear. He had been jailed since January 2021 after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning he attributed to the Kremlin. Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, expressed skepticism about official Russian reports of his death, vowing that those responsible would be held accountable.
International Reactions
U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Navalny’s reported death, holding Putin and his government accountable. Navalny’s death comes just weeks before an election that could secure Putin’s grip on power for another six years, sparking concerns about the treatment of opposition figures in Russia.
