During a Sunday (2.18) protest in Germany following the death of 47-year old opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Pussy Riot called Vladimir Putin and the Russian government “murderers.”
Outside the Russian embassy in Berlin, where a makeshift memorial to Navalny was set up, the Russian music group’s creator Nadya Tolokonnikova and fellow members of the protest and performance art collective staged the demonstration.
In a statement about Navalny, who reportedly died of “blood clots” at a Russian prison, Tolokonnikova said “We came with one simple word – ‘MURDERERS’ He did not just die. He was murdered.” “What we need to know about Putin is that he’s much more fragile than he seems. He is afraid of his opponents.”
According to Pussy Riot’s social media accounts, those who’ve attempted to publicly mourn Navalny in Russia have been met with police presence and arrests. A similar situation occurred in Berlin, as German authorities demanded Pussy Riot remove their masks and threatened to have them arrested if they did not comply, said the group on Sunday.
In 2021 Alexei was detained by Russian authorities on what are widely regarded as fabricated charges of corruption, intended to silence his criticism of Putin. Prior to his arrest, Navalny survived at least two documented assassination attempts. His imprisonment resulted in widespread protests against the the dictator and his government throughout Russia. And in 2022, he was sentenced to nine years in prison with an additional 19 years added to his sentence in August.
In an interview for the CNN-produced documentary Navalny, filmed shortly before his arrest. Alexie acknowledged the possibility that he would be murdered, saying “You are not allowed to give up,” he said. “If they decide to kill me, it means we are incredibly strong. We need to use this power, not to give up, to remember that. Because we are a huge force being oppressed by these bad guys. We don’t know how strong we really are.”
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Denis Bochkarev