A crowd of visibly upset people gathered in front of the Russian embassy in Belgrade following reports that anti-corruption opposition activist Alexei Navalny died in prison on Friday.

An N1 reporter said that the crowd was silent, hugging each other and crying with Russian music playing in the background.

Several Russians in the crowd said that they were there to honor Navalny, adding that Russians viewed him as the last hope to create a normal state.

One of them compared Navalny to South Africa’s late leader Nelson Mandela.