"If You Don't Sign, We'll Break Your Fingers"... Russia Forces Navalny Mourners to Enlist

Over 400 Navalny Mourners Arrested by Police
Russia Also Forces Mourners to Enlist

Men who were arrested after participating in a memorial event for Russian anti-government activist Alexei Navalny, who died while in custody, are reportedly being forced to enlist in the military.

On the 17th (local time), a photo of Russian dissident activist Alexei Navalny placed near the Russian Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, was covered with bouquets from mourners. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 21st (local time), The Moscow Times, citing Telegram news channel 'Rotonda' and others, reported that at least six of the mourners released from a police detention center in Saint Petersburg received military enlistment notices. Rotonda stated, "The warrants specify that those arrested must report to the military enlistment office and register for military service within a few days."

Another independent media outlet, RusNews, conveyed the words of a man who said, "Two hours before being released, I was taken to an office where they handed out enlistment notices. They said they would break my fingers if I did not sign." Since Navalny's death on the 16th, Russian authorities have maintained a hardline stance, arresting at least 400 mourners. Russia strictly prohibits unauthorized gatherings and has warned that protests related to Navalny's memorial are considered "illegal assemblies."

Navalny, regarded as President Vladimir Putin's greatest political rival, suddenly died in a Siberian prison on the 16th. Russian correctional authorities announced that Navalny lost consciousness and collapsed after a walk, but Navalny's supporters have raised the possibility of murder and claim the Russian government is responsible.

In the past, Navalny responded to a question about the possibility of assassination in an interview with CNN, saying, "If they decided to kill me, it means we are so strong that they cannot believe it, and it means we must use that strength and not give up."

Meanwhile, Telegram news channel Baza reported on the 20th that a teenage boy was arrested and detained after setting fire to the office of the ruling United Russia party in Dolgoprudny, Moscow Oblast. United Russia criticized the act, saying the boy, a 9th-grade student equivalent to a middle schooler in Korea, threw a Molotov cocktail at the building to avenge Navalny's death, adding, "Although the fire did not spread widely, we consider this act to be terrorism."