Extract from ABC News
Australia's ambassador to Russia was among a rare public anti-Kremlin demonstration when he joined a large crowd at the funeral of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow on Friday.
John Geering, who began his posting in November, and other Western diplomats were at the service with thousands of mourners and supporters in the district of Maryino, despite warnings from Russian authorities that people could be arrested.
The throng chanted "we are not afraid", "Putin is a murderer", "no war" and "Russia will be free", as the 47-year-old's body was carried into The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows.
Mr Geering said when he and the other Western diplomats attempted to enter the church, police stopped them.
He later released a statement saying he had been "profoundly impacted and moved by the depth of grief shown by many thousands today at the funeral of Alexei Navalny. Those remembering his legacy at the funeral carry on his hopes for a better Russia. Australia and the world shares your grief and your hopes".
While there was a large police presence in the area, the gathering appeared to be tolerated when the funeral began at 2pm local time, although two hours later there were reports of arrests.
The human rights group OVD-Info said 45 people had been detained, including six in Moscow and dozens in other parts of the country.
The independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that only about 300 people were permitted inside the church.
While cameras were not permitted inside the service, a video posted to the encrypted messaging service showed Navalny's mother addressing his body when the casket was opened.
People in the vicinity of the funeral reported the internet had been blocked.
Navalny died in custody last month in an Arctic prison, while serving a decades-long sentence on charges he said were trumped up.
While prison authorities claimed his sudden demise was due to illness, his mother and team have said his body had been "abused".
Australia has sanctioned seven officials "involved in the mistreatment" of Navalny at the IK-6 penal colony where he died.
Navalny survived a poisoning attempt in 2020, and had been a vocal thorn in President Vladimir Putin's side for several years.
His parents Anatoly Navalny, and Lyudmila Navalnaya attended the funeral but his exiled wife, Yulia Navalnaya, and two children did not.
They would have risked arrest by returning to Russia.
In an Instagram tribute, Yulia thanked her husband for decades of "utter happiness".
"I don't know how to live without you, but I'll try to live in a way that will make you happy and proud of me up there. I don't know if I'll manage or not, but I'll try," she wrote.
Eariler, Kremlin spokesperson Dimitri Peskov warned anyone attending unsanctioned gatherings in support of Navalny risked arrest.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Peskov said the Kremlin had nothing to say to Navalny's family and that anyone who participated in "unauthorised" events would be "held accountable".
Mr Putin has not addressed the opposition leader's death and authorities have denied any involvement.
He has famously refused to say Navalny's name publicly.
While Navalny was well known outside Russia, his influence and popularity were less pronounced for those living under the country's authoritarian regime, where there is no free press or judiciary.
Mr Putin is facing a presidential election later this month where most of his most prominent opponents have been jailed or barred from running.
On top of that, Western observers say the vote will be rigged and that the president will be elected easily for another six-year term.
Navalny's body was taken from the church to the Borisovskoye Cemetery, where he was buried.
Ahead of his funeral, supporters claimed authorities had denied their hopes of holding a larger service.
They also said funeral homes were refusing to transport his body to the church.
"All the hearse services are getting calls from unknown people who threaten them so that they don't take Alexei's body anywhere," Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said earlier in the week.
Many of Navalny's closest allies are based in Lithuania, however the opposition leader returned to Russia in 2021 where he was detained at the airport.
He was eventually convicted of various charges including fraud and funding extremism.
Navalny's anti-corruption campaigning enraged the Kremlin, who he described as "crooks and thieves".
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