People in Groningen have been paying tribute to Alexei Navalny, Russia’s opposition leader, who died in a remote Arctic penal colony. The precise circumstances around his death remain unknown, however various world leaders have said that Vladimir Putin is ultimately to blame.
Flowers and candles were left at the foot of the statute of Saint George and the Dragon that stands next to the Martini Church in tribute to Navalny.
On Sunday, around 75 people also gathered in the square next to the Groninger Museum to commemorate Navalny.
The organiser of the gathering, Nikita Levkin, fled from Russia after protesting against Putin. He now lives in the asylum centre at Delfizijl and is currently waiting for an update on his application seeking political asylum in the Netherlands, according to RTV Noord.
“I only saw two commemorations, in The Hague and Amsterdam. So I thought: we have to do something here too. I’m glad so many people came to pay their last respects,” Levkin said.
Navalny’s mother not allowed into the morgue in Russia – spokesperson
Alexei Navalny’s mother and his lawyers were not allowed into the morgue in the Russian town of Salekhard, near the prison colony where authorities said he died, the Guardian reported, citing Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, said.
“One of the lawyers was literally pushed out,” Yarmysh wrote on Twitter, adding that morgue staff would not answer a question about where Navalny’s body was.
Photos: The Northern Times
