An issue of Russian weekly Sobesednik dedicated partially to the memory of Aleksei Navalny has been withdrawn from newsstands in Moscow, the newspaper's editorial board says, as authorities continue to clamp down on any public manifestation of respect for the late Kremlin opponent.
Navalny's death in a remote Arctic prison camp was reported on February 16, prompting an outpouring of grief and mounting outrage in Russia and around the world as authorities have been refusing to release his body to his mother amid growing suspicions about the cause of his death, which was officially attributed to "sudden death" syndrome.
While most printed media in Russia ignored the death of the opposition politician and activist, Sobesednik's latest hard-copy issue, released on February 21, featured a photograph of a smiling Navalny on the front page accompanied by the caption “...but there is hope!”
It included reports of the spontaneous commemorations of Navalny's death in several Russian cities and commentaries by public figures, human rights activists, and journalists such as 2021 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Dmitry Muratov.
SEE ALSO: Central Asia Cracks Down On Navalny MemorialsSobesednik journalist Elena Milchanovskaya told the SotaVision Telegram channel that the editors were not informed why all copies of the magazine were seized by authorities in Moscow.
"All this is very serious and even a little scary for us,” Milchanovskaya said, adding that Russia's Roskomnadzor media watchdog also blocked online access to the section of the issue dedicated to Navalny.
Navalny's death after his being detained in extremely harsh conditions at the Polar Wolf Arctic prison camp in Russia's far north Yamalo-Nenets region prompted hundreds of Russians to stage spontaneous gatherings in his memory that were immediately repressed by authorities.
According to OVD-Info, between February 16–19 security forces detained 397 people in 39 cities at rallies in memory of Navalny.
Most of the arrests -- almost 200 -- took place in St. Petersburg, where six of those arrested were given summonses to the military registration and enlistment office as they were leaving the temporary detention center on February 21.
Navalny's mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, filed a lawsuit in a Russian court on February 21 demanding the release of her son's body after her direct video appeal to President Vladimir Putin remained unanswered.
A court in Yamalo-Nenets said on February 21 that a hearing into Navalnaya's complaint will be held on March 4.
Russian Orthodox priests have initiated an online petition calling for authorities to release Navalny's body to his family, stressing that the outspoken Kremlin critic was an Orthodox Christian.
"Remember, we are all equal in front of God.... Be merciful and compassionate to his mother, wife, children, and other loved ones.... Everyone deserves to be buried humanely," the petition says. Some 800 people had already signed the petition as of early on February 22.