More than 250 people were detained in eight cities across Russia on Saturday after they came to commemorate the late Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political repression in Russia. The death of Navalny, once Putin’s most significant political challenger, is a watershed moment for Russia’s shattered pro-democracy movement, which has largely been jailed or driven into exile since the Ukraine invasion of 2022. Navalny, 47, died while being held in jail on 16 February at 2.17pm, said his official spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, citing a message from Navalny’s mother and challenging Russia’s official explanation that Navalny died after a fall at the Arctic penal colony where he was being held Death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny confirmed by his representatives Western leaders point finger at Putin after Alexei Navalny’s death in jail Alexei Navalny death: protesters gather across Europe to express outrage and denounce Putin