Alexei Navalny: Today in Moscow the funeral amid problems & strict security measures

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny will be buried today in Moscow, amid strict security measures and fears of police repression, two weeks after he died suddenly at the age of 47 in an Arctic colony.

Navalny’s allies – who promised to livestream the day’s events online – accused Vladimir Putin of his murder, as the Russian leader allegedly couldn’t bear the thought of Navalny being released in a possible prisoner exchange.

They have not published evidence to support this allegation, but promised to explain how and by whom he was murdered.

Funeral amidst obstacles

As Russia prepares for Navalny’s funeral, every step of his family is met with obstacles. His mother had to fight for days to get his body. Authorities tried to pressure her to have a quiet funeral in the remote Arctic area where he died.

Russian police will record the passports of mourners arriving at the Church of the Icon of the Theotokos, in a quiet residential area of Moscow, while yesterday efforts to rent a hearse to transport the body of the deceased Russian opposition politician for his funeral were obstructed by unknown individuals, as his associates allege.

Alexei Navalny’s public memorial ceremony is set to take place at 12 p.m. Moscow time at a church in southeastern Moscow.

Footage published by @mediazzzona this morning showed a convoy of police trucks heading toward the church.pic.twitter.com/rkRuBYRS6U

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 1, 2024

Kira Yarmish, Navalny’s spokesperson, stated in a post on the social media platform X that unknown individuals threatened funeral offices that provide hearses by phone, resulting in no office agreeing to transport the body.

“At first, we were not allowed to rent a funeral hall for Alexei’s farewell. Now that only the funeral service in the church needs to take place, funeral offices tell us that not a single hearse is willing to transport his body there,” Yarmish wrote on X.

Ivan Zhdanov, another close associate, stated that Navalny’s team will manage to find a solution regardless.

The funeral is scheduled to take place today in Maryino, on the outskirts of Moscow.

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