Navalny's mother lays flowers at his grave a day after Moscow funeral

Alexei Navalny’s mother and mother-in-law have laid flowers at his grave in Moscow the day after thousands of people attended his funeral in a public show of defiance.

Both women, dressed in black, stood quietly at the opposition leader’s burial place before leaving.

Mr Navalny, who was President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest domestic critic, died at the age of 47 in an Arctic penal colony on 16 February.

Supporters said he had been murdered, while the Kremlin has denied any involvement in his death.

Amid a heavy police presence, thousands of people gathered to bid farewell to Mr Navalny on Friday, with some chanting his name and saying they would not forgive the Russian authorities for his death.

By Saturday, his grave in a Moscow cemetery not far from where he once lived was covered with flowers left by thousands of mourners.

His mother Lyudmila visited her son’s grave for the second day.

While police did not move against mourners, at least 106 people were detained at events across Russia in Mr Navalny’s memory.

A rights group that tracks political arrests said most were stopped while trying to lay flowers at monuments dedicated to victims of Soviet repression.

Mr Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, was not seen at the funeral, although her mother Alla was at the scene.

Yulia has vowed to continue his work, and thanked him for “26 years of absolute happiness”.

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The funeral followed a battle with authorities over the release of his body.

His team said several Moscow churches refused to hold the funeral for the man who crusaded against official corruption and organised massive protests.

One mourner visiting the graveside said of Mr Navalny, who rose to prominence exposing what he said was major corruption among the ruling elite, “He was the one who had opened my eyes to the existing political situation in Russia.

“I followed all of his investigations closely.”

Another mourner said they were there “to honour the memory of the man who has become a symbol of perseverance for me”.

The jailed dissident collapsed and failed to regain consciousness, amid suspicious circumstances.

Mr Navalny was serving a lengthy prison sentence following years of persecution that included poisoning with a nerve agent in 2020.