G7 foreign ministers gathered in Munich have held a minute of silence in tribute to Vladimir Putin's top critic, Alexei Navalny, who died on Friday in an Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence.
Italy’s Minister Antonio Tajani, who is presiding over the G7 this year, began the meeting with a request for this solemn moment of silence to pay homage to Navalny.
“For his ideas and fight for freedom and against corruption in Russia, Navalny was essentially sent to his death,” Tajani said. He insisted that Russia must not conceal the circumstances of his death and cease its unacceptable repression of political dissent.
Navalny’s death comes one month before the presidential vote set for 15-17 March, which will almost certainly being no change to Russia’s political landscape, in the absence of any opposition to the Kremlin. This follows significant repression, particularly owing to Russia’s assault on Ukraine two years ago.
The UK government has held Russia "fully accountable" for Navalny's death, with the Foreign Office requesting a comprehensive, transparent investigation. "In recent years, they have imprisoned him on trumped-up charges, poisoned him with a banned neurotoxic agent, and sent him to an Arctic penal colony. No one should doubt the brutal nature of the Russian system," a ministry spokesperson stated.
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On Friday evening, hundreds of people across Europe and in the United States gathered in tribute to Navalny. In London, dozens gathered outside the Russian embassy, behind barriers, holding signs in English and Russian reading "Putin murderer", "Murderers", "Navalny our hero", "My Russia is in jail", "Don't give up", "We are Navalny" or "Putin burn in hell."
About a hundred people were detained across Russia by authorities during several gatherings. In St. Petersburg, sixty individuals were arrested and detained, with further detainments in Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow. As early as Friday afternoon, authorities in the capital had warned citizens against any "unauthorised" demonstrations following the announcement of Navalny's death.
Nevertheless, citizens queued up throughout the evening to lay flowers at monuments commemorating political dissidents in various Russian cities. Public criticisms of the Russian government are often met with imprisonment in the country.
