International

Police detain dozens amid farewell to vavalny across Russia

Tension flared up once again in Port-au-Prince with shootouts erupting between the police and armed gangs, following a day of apparent calm in the Haitian capital after a violent previous day that saw at least five dead and scores injured.

According to the latest report from the Haitian Police Union, at least 56 individuals were detained in fourteen cities across the country during the farewell day for the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was buried two weeks after his death in an Arctic prison.

According to OVD-Info, an organization advocating for the rights of detainees, the cities with the highest number of detentions were Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow, with 14, 10, and 6 arrests respectively.

Police also conducted arrests in Voronezh, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladikavkaz, St. Petersburg, Ulan-Ude, and Sochi, among others.

Among those detained was the vice president of the Moscow branch of the opposition party Yabloko, Andrey Morev, who was arrested by police in the Moscow metro after the burial, according to OVD-Info.

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Morev, who was taken into custody along with a colleague at the Marino station near the cemetery, has not yet been charged, according to a statement he made to the Mozhem Obiasnit (We Can Explain) Telegram channel.

Two other individuals were arrested near the cemetery, according to journalist Alexander Plyuschev and the Avtozak Live Telegram channel, which reports on detentions.

One of them was reportedly detained after shouting, “Who killed Navalny?”

Multitudes gathered to bid farewell to Navalny, with lines extending for kilometers as people arrived with flowers in hand, chanting “Russia will be free,” “Russia without Putin,” “Navalny,” and “Liosha (a diminutive of Alexei), we are with you,” at the burial in the Borisovo cemetery in the Russian capital.

Yulia: Thank You for 26 Years of Absolute Happiness

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Yulia, who bid farewell to her husband on Friday with a message on social media due to her inability to attend the funeral, thanked him for their “26 years of absolute happiness” together.

“I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to make you happy and proud of me up there,” wrote Navalnaya from exile.

Yulia expressed confidence that she would see her husband again “one day.”

Politicians and Diplomats Attend the Funeral

Among the personalities who attended the funeral were Yevgeny Roizman, former mayor of Yekaterinburg, as well as some foreign diplomats, including the ambassadors of the United States, Germany, and France.

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Boris Nadezhdin, a candidate for the Russian presidency recently banned by the Electoral Commission of the country, also attended the farewell ceremony.

“The people are afraid, but they want to overcome it,” said opposition politician Nadezhdin to EFE. He added that Navalny’s death is “a tragic event for millions of Russians who supported him.”

Stringent Security Measures

Navalny’s farewell took place under strict security measures and an unprecedented police deployment in the Marino neighborhood.

Both near the temple, where the funeral home was set up, and at the cemetery, metal barriers and a strong police presence were in place.

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In addition, multiple surveillance cameras and other devices that can be used as internet and mobile phone signal jammers were installed on the cemetery lampposts.

Navalny supporters waited patiently with flowers in hand for the arrival of the coffin, and when the politician’s body was brought into the church, they began to chant his name.

After the wake at the church, which lasted just over half an hour without most of the attendees being able to enter the temple, Navalny’s body was taken to the Borisovo cemetery for burial.

Borisovo: A Discreet and Ancient Cemetery

The Borisovo cemetery, where Navalny will be buried, covers an area of 4 hectares and is one of the oldest cemeteries in Moscow, with a history dating back to 1550.

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The cemetery is not home to many celebrities. Among the most famous graves are those of Soviet artist Yuri Sherstnev and scientist Gennady Arakelov.

The Troyekurovskoye cemetery in western Moscow was another location considered in the media to accommodate Navalny’s body. It is the final resting place of numerous Russian personalities, including military figures, artists, cosmonauts, and politicians, including Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated in 2015.

Kremlin Warnings

The Kremlin warned today that those who participate in unauthorized demonstrations in honor of the deceased opposition leader will be punished.

“We want to remind you that there is a law that must be followed: any unauthorized gathering will constitute a violation of the law,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at his daily press briefing.

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Peskov’s statement came in response to a question about the intention of Navalny’s followers to organize events in his memory across the country and abroad.

The Kremlin spokesperson also declined to comment on Navalny’s figure as a politician or to send a message to the opposition leader’s family, something that journalists asked about during the press conference.

Navalny’s team published a list of cities worldwide where ceremonies for the Russian politician were scheduled to take place.

“We call on you to place flowers at memorials (for Navalny) worldwide,” said a message from Navalny’s team, accompanied by a list of cities participating in the farewell ceremonies, including Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, among others.

Navalny’s associates and supporters, awarded the 2021 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Conscience by the European Parliament, directly accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering what they consider the “assassination” of the opposition leader.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.