Anniversary of Navalny’s death: Detentions at memorial rallies and pressure on participants: Human rights news, court updates & analysis | 34 related articles

09.10.2025

11:28

A 14-year-old school student from Stavropol, a city in southern Russia, has been sentenced to community service for graffiti that read “Navalny.”

26.02.2025

10:49

Republic of Bashkortostan

The Sovetsky District Court of Ufa sentenced Bulat Khalikov to two days of administrative arrest after he was detained while trying to lay flowers at a monument to victims of political repression. This was reported by his OVD-Info lawyer, Maksim Usov.

As Khalikov, who is from Ufa (a city in the Urals), had already spent two days in the police station, he was released after the court hearing.

The court found Khalikov guilty of petty hooliganism (Article 20.1 of the Administrative Offences Code). The security forces claimed that he was swearing, using foul language, and running away from the police, although the man had simply placed flowers at the monument and had not shouted any slogans.

Khalikov was detained on 23 February. The court was supposed to consider his case yesterday, 25 February, but the hearing was postponed in order to summon the police officer who detained Khalikov and threw the flowers off the monument.

23.02.2025

20:44

Republic of Bashkortostan

Bulаt Khalikov, a resident of Ufa (a large city in the Urals region), was detained while attempting to lay flowers at the monument to victims of political repression. This was reported by OVD-Info lawyer Maksim Usov, who is assisting him.

The detainee was charged with petty hooliganism (Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences). He is being held at the police station overnight until the court hearing.

24 February Bulat Khalikov remains at Police Station No. 7. This was reported by OVD-Info lawyer Maksim Usov. The detainee is being kept for a second night, and the court hearing is scheduled for 25 February.

25 February The judge postponed the hearing until 26 February in order to summon to court the officer who detained Khalikov. It was this same officer who threw the flowers off the monument, after which the detainee protested the officer’s actions. This was reported by the detainee’s lawyer from OVD-Info, Maksim Usov.

Law enforcement officers claim that Khalikov swore, used obscene language and fled from police officers, although the man calmly laid flowers at the monument to victims of political repression, did not shout any slogans, and brought no banners.

Khalikov was taken back to the station. Officers are not permitted to keep him in custody for a third night, so he must be released in the evening.

20:54 Bulat Khalikov has been released from the police station, reports OVD-Info lawyer Maksim Usov.

19.02.2025

20:18

Saint Petersburg

The Dzerzhinsky District Court in St Petersburg has sentenced a local resident to 10 days’ administrative arrest after they were detained at the monument to victims of political repression on the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s death. This was reported by the newspaper Bumaga.

The individual was found guilty under the article on displaying prohibited symbols (Part 1, Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). They were detained on 16 February when they came to the monument with flowers and a picture of Navalny.

10:52

Yaroslavl Oblast

Darya Golubkova, who was detained in Yaroslavl on the morning of 16 January, has been discharged from hospital and is to be taken back to the Leninsky district police station, where she initially fell ill. Golubkova’s friend told OVD-Info about this.

Golubkova, Andrey Akimov, and three other people were detained on the morning of 16 January while driving to Borisovskoye Cemetery in Moscow, where Alexei Navalny is buried. Administrative offence reports for drug use (Part 1 Article 6.9 of the Administrative Code) were drawn up against Golubkova and Akimov, who refused medical assessment at a drug treatment centre. The other passengers were released following examination.

13:04 Darya Golubkova was fined four thousand roubles (US$45) under the article on drug use (Part 1 Article 6.9 of the Administrative Code). She told OVD-Info about this herself.

18.02.2025

18:36

The Vakhitovsky District Court in Kazan, a major city in the Volga region, has fined Radik Khamidullin 20,000 roubles (US$220) over an action in support of Alexei Navalny. This was reported by his OVD-Info lawyer, Yakov Pleshkan.

The man was found guilty under the article on organising an unauthorised public action (Part 2, Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences). According to the court ruling, Khamidullin “in the presence of an indefinite group of people, took photos and videos of an event being held by Timonin A., who in turn used two carnations as a means of visual protest and laid them at the Monument to the Victims of Political Repression….”

The same court fined Andrei Timonin 20,000 roubles (US$220) under a similar article. Timonin, Khamidullin and Azat Shaekhov were detained on 16 February while laying flowers in memory of Alexei Navalny. Shaekhov was arrested for 10 days on 18 February.

17:07

The Kuibyshevsky District Court in St Petersburg fined Kristina Johnson Ramirez 2,000 roubles (about US$22) under the article on the display of extremist symbols (Part 1, Article 20.3 of the Administrative Code). This was reported by her lawyer.

Ramirez was detained on 16 February after she held a solo picket with a portrait of Navalny and a sign reading: “We will not forget, we will not forgive. Lesha, we miss you.” While already in the police van, she began to have difficulties breathing, telling OVD-Info she was close to losing consciousness. An ambulance was called for her.

After the arrest, she was taken to police station No. 28, where an administrative offence report was drawn up against her. Ramirez was kept at the station overnight ahead of the court hearing. The following day, she was taken to court, but the administrative case was returned to the police due to violations. Because of this, Ramirez was taken back to the police station for another night.

On 18 February, after the court hearing, Kristina Johnson Ramirez told OVD-Info that she was feeling unwell because she had not been given food or water at the police station. In addition, female officers at the station forced Ramirez to strip down to her underwear. According to Ramirez, they tried to make her undress completely and squat several times, threatening that otherwise men would carry out the search.

15:29

Republic of Tatarstan

The Vakhitovsky District Court in Kazan fined Andrey Timonin 20,000 roubles (approximately US$220) after he was detained on 16 February for laying flowers at a monument to victims of political repression. His defender told OVD-Info about the case.

Timonin was charged with holding a demonstration without giving notification (Part 2, Article 20.2 of the Administrative Offences Code).

14:32

Republic of Tatarstan

The Vakhitovsky District Court in Kazan, a major city in the Volga region, has sentenced Azat Shayekhov to 10 days in jail after he was detained at the monument to the victims of political repression on the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s death. His lawyer, who was unable to attend the hearing, told OVD-Info about the ruling.

The man was found guilty of holding an event without notifying the authorities (Part 2, Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

After the hearing, Shayekhov said the judge had rejected all his petitions, including the motion to have the judge recused. He intends to appeal the arrest. He also reported that he has been charged with “discrediting the army” (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) over a post on VKontakte, in which he allegedly “spoke unfavourably about the so-called heroes of the special military operation.” A local politician, Dmitry Rumyantsev, posted a video of Shayekhov’s comments after the hearing.

Earlier, the man said he was detained while filming the detentions of others who had come to pay tribute to Navalny.

14:49 The same court fined Shayekhov 45,000 roubles (approx. US$500) for “discrediting the army,” his lawyer told OVD-Info.

14:10

Saint Petersburg

A teacher at a gymnasium in St Petersburg has been fined 30,000 rubles (US$325) for laying a paper heart on the day Alexei Navalny was killed. This was reported by Fontanka.

The woman brought the heart to the monument to Taras Shevchenko. She was detained afterwards. As clarified by MR7, she was fined under the article on “discrediting the Russian Armed Forces” (Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Offences Code).

On 16 February, officers also detained a 75-year-old elderly woman at the Solovetsky Stone memorial. News sources differ on the reason for her detention: MR7 claims the woman tried to leave a portrait photograph at the memorial, while Fontanka reports that she joined a solo protest with a placard. It was not reported whose photo the woman intended to display.

A report was filed against the elderly woman for displaying “extremist” symbols (Article 20.3) and violating the rules for holding a solo protest (Article 20.2). The court sentenced her to a day of administrative arrest but immediately released her, as she had already spent this time in a detention centre prior to the hearing.

19 February The report for displaying prohibited symbols was indeed drawn up because of a placard bearing a photograph of Alexei Navalny and his quote: “I am not afraid, and neither should you be.” This was reported by 78.ru and noted by the Sova research centre.

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Anniversary of Navalny’s death: Detentions at memorial rallies and pressure on participants

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