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

16.02.2025

12:59

Moscow,

Altai Krai,

Since the morning of 16 February, several people in Russia have been detained after coming to honour the memory of Alexei Navalny at monuments in their cities. Security forces are also watching closely those who have come to lay flowers.

Dozens of Moscow residents came to the grave of Alexei Navalny at Borisovskoye Cemetery. Officers from Centre “E” drove away journalists and people with cameras, citing a ban on taking photos and videos at the cemetery, according to RusNews. One Muscovite brought a sheet of paper with a quote from Navalny: “I am not afraid, and you should not be afraid either.” A Rosgvardia officer attempted to disrupt the picket.
At the Solovetsky Stone in St Petersburg, barriers have been set up. According to a correspondent from the publication Bumaga, several men in plain clothes are nearby. Flowers left at the memorial by people are being removed by street cleaners. Some residents are bringing flowers to the Trinity Chapel instead.
At the Stone of Sorrow in Narim Square, Novosibirsk—a major city in Siberia—police are on duty. They are asking those present to show their documents. Two police vans arrived at the memorial, officers are asking people to disperse and threatening fines. Five people have already been detained, and force was used against two of them.
In Yoshkar-Ola, police are recording the details of those who have laid flowers at the monument to victims of political repression.
In Sverdlovsk Region, at the “Mask of Sorrow” memorial, people in plain clothes barred a correspondent from It’s My City from entering. They claimed that the memorial was closed due to a bomb threat. Everyone who came to the monument was asked to leave the area.
In Perm, at the Yegoshikha Cemetery, an officer from Centre “E” was photographing the faces of people who came to honour Navalny’s memory.
The faces of residents are also being photographed in Nakhodka, a port city in the Russian Far East. Witnesses say two women at the monument to victims of political repression are taking the photos. They are also photographing the cars of those who come to the memorial.
Meanwhile in Barnaul, a major city in Siberia, local police have cordoned off the “Farewell” monument. People who come with flowers are being questioned and asked to show their documents. A local woman stood in a solo protest with a placard reading: “The Moth is a Murderer.”

12:42

Novosibirsk Oblast

In Novosibirsk, a major city in Siberia, several people were detained at a memorial rally, reports 'Novosibirsk 2020 Coalition'.

Force was used against two of the detainees. Eyewitnesses told OVD-Info’s hotline about five people being detained.

13:00 The information about five detainees has been confirmed. Among them are Roman Malozyomov and Mira Iskacheva. Civic activist Ekaterina Tereshchenko reported this to OVD-Info.

13:15 It has become known about a sixth detainee in Novosibirsk. Among the detainees are also Yulia Orlovskaya and Sofya Kolesnikova.

15:20 All five detainees have been released from the police station, they told OVD-Info. No administrative offence reports were drawn up against them. In total, five people were detained in Novosibirsk; information about a sixth detainee was not confirmed.

11:38

Komi Republic

In Ukhta, a man was detained after laying flowers at a memorial to the victims of repression. This was reported by the Komi Political Prisoner Telegram channel.

The detained man’s name is not yet known. He managed to inform his wife that the police were taking him to the station to establish his identity.

15:46 Police have released the Ukhta resident who was detained for identification after laying flowers at the monument to prisoners of Ukhtpechlag. This was reported by the Komi Political Prisoner channel.

According to the channel, the man was taken to the station because he had forgotten his passport at home. During the detention, the police asked “many provocative questions,” but the Ukhta resident refused to testify against himself, invoking Article 51 of the Constitution.

The authorities also stated that the man’s behaviour and speech “seem strange” to them. They offered him a medical examination, and after he agreed, took him to a drug treatment facility. He was later released with a delivery protocol, a referral, and a certificate of examination.

Afterwards, the man returned to the memorial and discovered that the monument to the prisoners of Ukhtpechlag had been covered with snow and packed down with a shovel. There were also traces of boots left in the snow.

14.02.2025

13:09

Irkutsk Oblast

Police in Irkutsk have issued warnings to local activists about the “unacceptability of unlawful actions” on the eve of the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s death. The police visits were reported by Pavel Kharitonenko, founder of the “New Russia—Free Country” movement, and Grigory Gribenko, head of the Irkutsk branch of Yabloko. The Baikal People publication drew attention to this.

Kharitonenko noted that on 13 February, after receiving a phone call, a police officer arrived at his home and handed him a warning about the rules for holding rallies. He has received similar documents before, as an organiser of demonstrations ahead of their planned dates.

The document stated that Pavel Kharitonenko is the “organiser of an event scheduled for 16 February 2025.” However, the warning itself did not specify where or when the rally would take place. Kharitonenko stated that he was not planning to organise anything.

“The police officer himself didn’t know what this event was. The date coincides with the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s death. Since there is no time or date, it means no event is actually planned. The authorities are just playing it safe by making the police simulate fervent activity,” Kharitonenko added.

Grigory Gribenko also received a different warning, “about the inadmissibility of engaging in extremist activities when publicly displaying the Nazi swastika and symbols.” He has not yet commented on receiving the document.

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

16.02.2025

14.02.2025