Russian opposition politician Navalny buried in Moscow after farewell ceremony

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, who died last month in a penal colony, was buried at Borisovsky cemetery in Moscow on Friday.

Navalny's parents Anatoly and Lyudmila, as well as other relatives and supporters, accompanied Navalny on his last journey.

Hundreds of people who gathered to pay their last tribute to Navalny formed a long queue to the cemetery, applauded him and chanted his name.

On Feb. 16, the prison service announced the death of Navalny, saying the 47-year-old suddenly felt unwell after a walk in prison, where he was serving a term.

He was promptly taken to a hospital, but doctors were unable to save his life, according to the prison service.

His official cause of death remains unannounced.

Navalny was arrested in January 2021 after a hospital stay in Germany, where he was being treated for poisoning. Western countries and Navalny himself blamed Russia for the poisoning, a claim the Kremlin denies.

In August, he was handed a 19-year prison sentence on charges of extremism and other crimes. He was already serving a sentence of more than 11 years on fraud charges.