Alexei Navalny’s widow and his associates fear for the safety of people attending the funeral of the Russian politician, while the organisation of the service itself is being made difficult by unforeseen issues.
Mr Navalny’s team announced earlier this week that the service would be held on March 1 at 11am GMT (2pm local time) at the Church of the Icon of Our Lady Quench My Sorrows in Maryino, on the outskirts of Moscow. The burial of Mr Navalny is set to follow at 1pm GMT (4pm local time) at the nearby Borisovskoye Cemetery.
The funeral service will also be streamed online on Mr Navalny’s YouTube channel and the politician’s aides have shared a list of places abroad where people can join memorial services, to allow mourners from around the world to pay their tribute to Vladimir Putin’s most famous critic.
But Mr Navalny’s final goodbye is being marred by fears and uncertainty, with his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh saying they have been unable to find a hearse to take the body of the politician to the church. She claimed: “Unknown people are calling mortuaries and threatening them if they accept to take Alexei’s body.”
Moreover, Mr Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya fears Russian authorities may not allow the funeral to be carried out without disruption. Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, she said: “I’m not sure yet whether it will be peaceful or whether police will arrest those who have come to say goodbye to my husband.”
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