Navalny to be buried in Moscow on Friday, wife fears possible arrests
Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny's funeral will be held in Moscow on Friday, his wife Yulia announced, but she expressed uncertainty about whether it would proceed peacefully, noting that plans for a civil memorial service had been obstructed.
Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokesperson, announced that a service for Navalny would take place on Friday afternoon at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the Moscow district of Maryino, where Navalny had resided.
Following the service, Navalny will be laid to rest at the Borisovskoye cemetery, approximately 2.5 km (1.5 miles) away on the opposite side of the Moskva River. A Reuters reporter observed three police patrols at the snow-covered cemetery on Wednesday, located near a bustling road.
Navalny's allies accused the Kremlin of impeding their efforts to organize a separate civil memorial service in a larger venue and of thwarting plans to bury Navalny a day earlier. The Kremlin has denied involvement in such arrangements.
"Two people - Vladimir Putin and (Moscow Mayor) Sergei Sobyanin - are responsible for the fact that we have no venue for a civil memorial service and farewell to Alexei," wrote Yulia, his wife.
"The people in the Kremlin killed him, then desecrated Alexei's body, then mocked his mother, and now they are mocking his memory."
The Kremlin denies any involvement in Navalny's death on Feb. 16 at the age of 47 in an Arctic penal colony, with his death certificate, according to supporters, stating he died of natural causes.
Russian Orthodox funeral services typically involve a priest and choral singing, with attendees gathering around the open casket to bid farewell. The chosen church is an imposing five-domed white building in southeastern Moscow. Crowd control measures by authorities remain unclear.
Given past gatherings of Navalny supporters, whom Russian authorities designate as U.S.-backed extremists, a heavy police presence is expected, and authorities may intervene to disperse anything resembling a political demonstration under protest laws.
"The funeral will take place the day after tomorrow, and I'm unsure whether it will be peaceful or if police will arrest those who come to bid farewell to my husband," Yulia said in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Navalny's allies have accused President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder due to the Russian leader's alleged inability to tolerate the prospect of Navalny's release in a potential prisoner swap. They have yet to provide evidence to support this claim but have pledged to detail his murder and the perpetrators.
The Kremlin has denied state involvement in Navalny's death and claimed ignorance of any agreement to release him.
"Putin killed my husband," Yulia Navalnaya asserted to European lawmakers in Strasbourg, describing Putin as a "bloody monster" and emphasizing the futility of negotiating with him.
Navalny's allies sought a venue to accommodate supporters for a non-religious farewell ceremony but reported refusals at every turn.
"We initially planned the farewell and funeral for February 29th. However, it soon became apparent that no one could dig a grave by February 29th," wrote Ivan Zhdanov, a Navalny ally.
Zhdanov accused authorities of aiming to avoid Navalny's funeral coinciding with Putin's speech to Russia's political elite on February 29th and of obstructing efforts to secure a large hall for supporters to bid farewell.
Yulia appealed to authorities for a chance for people to say goodbye to him "in a dignified manner" and urged them to refrain from interference.
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