Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalni, who died in prison, is being sent off to his last journey in the capital Moscow. His supporters started to gather with flowers for Navalni.
Waiting in the capital
Alexei Navanlni’s supporters gathered in the capital Moscow to send the Russian opposition leader on his last journey.
As hundreds of people gathered for the funeral with flowers in their hands, Navalni’s spokesperson Kira Yarmish said, “The funeral program has not changed. But there may be delays.”
After a farewell ceremony at the Church of the Virgin Mary in Maryino district, Navalni will be buried in Borisovskoye Cemetery.
A large number of police were deployed in the area
While Russian citizens were waiting for the ceremony, police officers were deployed in the capital.
Police officers are also stationed on the roofs of buildings.
According to Russian media, authorities have installed metal detectors, surveillance cameras and metal fences around the church where the funeral will take place and in the nearby cemetery where Navalni will be buried.
According to the Ostorozhno Novosti news channel, police patrolled the area on horseback, while two Moscow Times reporters at the scene said there were interruptions in mobile internet service near the church.
His body arrived at the church
Navalni’s team announced that more than a thousand people have gathered in Moscow so far.
The team announced that the body of the opposition leader had reached the church.
Russian citizens holding red flowers and standing behind the control barriers will bid farewell to Navalni.
The funeral will begin at 2 p.m. local time.
Intimidation from the Kremlin
In its first statement today, the Kremlin said it had “nothing to say to Navalni’s family”.
The statement warned that “unauthorized gatherings” for Navalni would violate the law.
“Whoever participates in these actions will be held responsible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Faced obstacles
There was no venue for Navalni’s farewell and no hearse to carry his body.
Navalni’s spokesman Yarmish said yesterday, “We are looking for a place where Alexei will say goodbye. We have contacted various private and public funeral agencies, commercial venues and funeral parlors, but somewhere they directly told us that funeral agencies are prohibited from working with us.”
He died in prison
Alexei Navalny, 47, has been held since 2021 in the Arctic Wolf penal colony, 1900 kilometers from Moscow.
On February 16, Russian prison officials announced that Navalni had fallen ill after taking a walk, lost consciousness and died despite doctors’ intervention.
Navalni was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
They blame Putin
His wife Yulia Navalnaya and her team blame President Putin for his death.
In a video posted on social media after his wife’s death, Navalnaya said he would “fight for a free Russia”.
