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

This translation was made by AI

Photo: Kseniya Maksimova

A year ago, Alexei Navalny died in Penal Colony No. 3 in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, a region in northwest Siberia. Two days before his death, the politician was sent to a punishment cell for the 27th time; in total, he spent 295 days in solitary confinement.

On the anniversary of Navalny’s death, commemorative events are taking place in various cities. OVD-Info is monitoring the detentions of participants and the pressure being exerted on them.

16.02.2025

17:49

Republic of Bashkortostan

In Ufa, a major city in the Urals, at least three people were detained at the memorial to victims of political repression, one of them told OVD-Info.

Two of those detained were asked to provide written explanations and released without a report being filed.

17:37

There was previously information here about a political detention, but it was not confirmed. We apologise for the error.

17:30

Voronezh Oblast

A resident of Voronezh was detained while staging a solo picket with a placard reading: “Don’t be afraid. This is our country, and we don’t have another one,” by the monument to Osip Mandelstam. This was reported by RusNews.

17:40 Security officers also detained the young woman’s companion as he was laying flowers. The detainees’ names are Yevgeniya and Alexander. This was reported by “Not Politics | Voronezh.”

18:45 The detainees were taken to a police station on Tchaikovsky Street. The police demanded that Alexander unlock his phone and beat him when he refused. The young man eventually agreed, but when the phone locked itself after several incorrect password attempts, the security officers threatened to burn his passport.

“I entered the unlock codes incorrectly several times and my phone was locked for a long time, after which the officers began making inappropriate threats—they threatened to burn my passport, saying: ‘Why do you need it anyway? ’ In the end, the police threatened a bit more and then released us without drawing up any charges,” the detainee told the “Not Politics | Voronezh” channel.

The detainees were eventually released from the police station without any charges being filed.

17:13

Sverdlovsk Oblast

In Yekaterinburg, a major city in the Urals, a woman was detained for laying flowers at the Decembrists’ monument. She herself told RusNews about this.

“They took me alone, personally, from what I heard while we were driving. About two others were detained before me,” the detainee clarified.

She was brought to police station No. 5. There, the police took her statement and then released her.

16:41

Saint Petersburg

In St Petersburg, police detained a man at the memorial to victims of political repression on the Voskresenskaya Embankment as he attempted to attach a piece of paper with a quotation about the triumph of evil to the monument, reports “Bumaga.”

The paper read: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.” This is a quotation by the English publicist and parliamentarian Edmund Burke, which Navalny repeatedly cited in his speeches and interviews. Notably, he recalled it at the end of his interview for the documentary film “Navalny,” released in 2022.

The St Petersburg resident tried to fasten the paper to the memorial, but it fell off. The man himself was then escorted into a police van.

16:21

Ulyanovsk Oblast

Activist Igor Toporkov from Ulyanovsk, a city on the Volga River in central Russia, reported that he was detained while laying flowers at a monument to the victims of political repression. This was reported by the Telegram channel “Simbirsky Shugozhor.”

19:16 After his detention, Toporkov was charged with displaying prohibited symbols (Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences), he told the publication 7×7. He did not specify what prompted the charge.

Tomorrow, 17 February, a court hearing will be held on this administrative case. The activist is being kept in the police station overnight.

16:04

Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

In Nizhny Novgorod, a major city on the Volga River, Alexander Malyshev was detained during a flower-laying ceremony at the Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Drama Theatre named after Gorky, according to lawyer Olympiada Usanova, who works with OVD-Info.

According to her, Malyshev will be taken to police station No. 5.

18:21 Malyshev was released from the station without any protocol being filed, he himself told OVD-Info.

15:58

Belgorod Oblast

In Belgorod, a woman was detained at the monument to the victims of political repression after she came to lay flowers. This was reported to OVD-Info by one of her acquaintances.

It is currently unknown where the detained woman is or whether any charges have been brought against her.

16:35 The detained woman was released from the police station without an administrative offence report being issued. The police drew up a report stating that she matched a description in an alert. The woman wrote an explanation stating that it was not her. The detained woman herself informed OVD-Info of this.

14:21

In Moscow at the Borisovskoye cemetery, where Alexei Navalny is buried, a man who came to pay his respects to the politician was detained. This was reported to OVD-Info by a friend of the detainee.

The man was taken to a police station near Alma-Atinskaya metro station and was later released without an administrative offence report being filed.

14:08

In Perm, a major city in the Urals, a picketer was detained at the monument to the heroes of the front for holding a sign reading: “If you are feeling especially in pain today—you are not alone! Alexey’s heart beat for us.” This was reported by the “Perm 36.6” channel.

The name of the detained person was initially unknown.

14:15 The detained person’s name is Alexey Ogloblin. He was taken to police station No. 6. This was reported by lawyer Artem Fayzulin, who works with OVD-Info.

15:26 Alexey Ogloblin is being charged with violating the regulations for picketing (Article 20.2 of the Administrative Offences Code). The activist informed OVD-Info about this.

15:59 The activist was released from the station without a report being filed. He informed OVD-Info about this.

According to lawyer Artem Fayzulin, the young man also had his sign confiscated. The activist said that after the decision to release him, the police pushed him out of the station: “They almost forced me out by strength.”

Photo: “Perm 36.6”