Police detained at least 19 people in cities across Russia as they held memorials to the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny on the second anniversary of his death, the rights watchdog OVD-Info said Tuesday.
Seven of the detentions took place on Monday in Ufa, the сapital of the republic of Bashkortostan. An OVD-Info lawyer said all of those detained were released later that evening, six of whom received a written warning from the police.
In St. Petersburg, four people were detained, three of whom were charged and found guilty of the administrative offense of publicly displaying “extremist” symbols. They were ordered to spend up to two weeks at a detention center.
Navalny’s network of organizations was designated as “extremist” in 2021.
The remaining eight people were detained in Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Volgograd and Yaroslavl. Other memorial services were held in cities like Novosibirsk and Vladivostok, but no detentions were reported there.
In Moscow, one of the people detained was a minor who held up a sign reading “Russia Will Be Free” outside the VDNKh exhibition complex. His father was charged with the administrative offense of failing to fulfill his parental duties.
More than 80 cities around the world held events this week marking the anniversary of Navalny's death at an Arctic prison on Feb. 16, 2024.
Britain, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands this weekend accused the Russian government of killing Navalny with a rare toxin found in South American dart frogs, known as epibatidine. The Kremlin rejected the allegations.
Russian police detained at least 42 people on the first anniversary of Navalny’s death last year.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
