Russian priest who led Navalny memorial services is demoted

Dmitry Safronov is suspended from leading services and ordered to serve three years of ‘penance’

A Russian priest who presided over a memorial for the opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been suspended from leading services and ordered to serve three years of “penance”, as persecution of people associated with Navalny has continued even after his death.

Dmitry Safronov had read several memorial services, called panikhida in Russian, at Navalny’s grave and led a service last month to mark 40 days since his death at a remote penal colony above the Arctic Circle.