Heavy police presence at Alexey Navalny funeral

Russians lined up around a church in Moscow today to pay their respects to Alexa nvol the Russian opposition Leader's body was released to his mother just hours before the funeral service naval's wife has accused Putin of ordering his death at an Arctic penal colony though the Kremlin denies any involvement CBS News forign correspondent Remy in aseno is in London following the latest on this uh in of all's funeral Ry good morning Jared yeah good morning there the funeral for Alexi Nali as well a

s the burial of his body are finished but the crowds of MERS there they're still Gathering outside the cemetery and now CBS News has learned that the police presence is also Rising that there are police vans building up there and that there are Vans blocking cell signals and people are chanting uh navali navali and Russia will be free but so far it's all been peaceful but without a doubt Russia's opposition to President Vladimir Putin has lost its most famous leader two weeks after after his dea

th in a remote Arctic penal colony alexe naali the face of Russia's opposition movement laid to rest at 47 years old naval's family and allies say they faced hurdle after hurdle just to get to this day his mother claimed Russian authorities withheld his body right after he died his supporters say funeral directors and even heurst drivers have been threatened from working on today's farewell and as the Kremlin continues to crack down on critics of Vladimir Putin any attendees could face detention

naval's wife Julia navala warned mourners this week I'm not sure yet whether it will be peaceful or whether police will arrest those who have come to say goodbye to my husband this morning outside the church on the snowy outskirts of Moscow Riot police assembled to put down any protests while barriers line the perimeter human rights activists say hundreds of navali supporters what's left of them in the country have already been detained since his death since 2021 navali had been kept in prison

on escalating allegations first violating parole later embezzlement then terrorism his allies say they were all trumped up charges late last year navali was transferred to a penal colony above the Arctic Circle this video of him smiling even joking with prison officials was the last time he was seen alive Russia's prison service said he died the next day and as naval's body was lowered into the ground today Frank Sinatra's My Way played that's perhaps a bit of a nod to how he at least tried to c

hange Russia and then paid the price uh thousands of MERS also held up flowers into the sky to pay their respects that in their own Act of mass Defiance and massed Riot police all watched on now nal's wife believes he was poisoned in prison but the official death certificate says he died from natural causes interesting Remy after nalle's death Putin gave his annual state of the nation address this week he warned the west of nuclear war should they send troops to Ukraine we see some of the Descen

t there around V's funeral how is is Putin's rhetoric playing with Russians yeah uh well there are Putin's allies uh supporters and regular people who benefit from really the the autocracy that is now in Russia or at least uh those who survive in that system and then there are the people who are unhappy and angry but then they have little choice but to but to Bear through it right uh regardless we're not going to hear much dissonance with president Putin that is because it's illegal to criticize

Russia's military and now today with Alexi noon's burial that's the biggest reminder that the tallest trees uh of criticism get cut down in Russia and this timing here is notable Russia's presidential election is happening in just two weeks Vladimir Putin is widely expected to win and that's going to keep him in power until 2030 Putin has embraced this strongman image Remy thank you