Hundreds detained in Russia as country mourns death of Putin foe Alexei Navalny

People lay flowers paying tribute to Alexei Navalny in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

More than 400 people have been detained in Russia while paying tribute to opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died at a remote Arctic prison colony, a prominent rights group has reported.

The sudden death of Mr Navalny, 47, was a crushing blow to many Russians, who had pinned their hopes for the future on President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe.