Story

Second anniversary of Navalny’s death: detentions and pressure on participants in memorial events

This translation was made by AI

Borisovskoye Cemetery in Moscow, 2025 / Photo: “Bereg”

Exactly two years ago, politician Alexei Navalny died in Correctional Colony No. 3 in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, northwestern Siberia. During the analysis of the politician’s biological samples, European laboratories found traces of the highly toxic poison epibatidine.

Today, supporters of the politician are holding memorial events in different cities across Russia. OVD-Info is monitoring detentions of participants and pressure being exerted on them.

16.02.2026

12:25

Moscow,

From early morning in Moscow, people have been arriving at the Borisovskoe Cemetery with flowers. Even before it opened, dozens of people had gathered there, including representatives from European diplomatic missions—among them, Poland, Latvia, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Officers from the Centre “E” and several National Guard vehicles are on duty at the cemetery.

The politician’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, came to the cemetery. After laying flowers, she told those gathered: “The whole world knows who ordered this. But we want to know everyone who took part in it.”

Memorial events are also taking place in other Russian cities—such as in Vladivostok (a port city in the Russian Far East), Novosibirsk (the largest city in Siberia), St Petersburg, and Barnaul (a major city in Siberia).

Supporters of the politician are remembering him abroad as well. Events are planned in more than 80 cities.

On 14 February, the results of an analysis of Navalny’s biological samples—taken out of the country by his family after his killing—were published. Several independent European laboratories examined them. As a result, they found epibatidine—a highly toxic poison extracted from the skin of a South American poison dart frog.

If you are detained, contact OVD-Info:

Telegram bot @ovdinfobot
hotline 8 800 707-05-28