Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s funeral service and burial will take place in Moscow on Friday, his spokesperson said, but his allies accused the Kremlin of thwarting their attempts to organise a bigger event a day earlier.
Kira Yarmysh, his spokesperson, posted on X that a service for Navalny would be held on Friday at 14:00 Moscow time (1100 GMT) in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the Moscow district of Maryino where Navalny used to live.
It was not immediately clear how the authorities would ensure crowd control. But judging from previous gatherings of Navalny supporters – whom the authorities have designated as U.S.-backed extremists – a heavy police presence is likely and the authorities will break up anything they deem to resemble a political demonstration under protest laws.
Navalny, 47, died at an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16. His allies have accused President Vladimir Putin of having him murdered because the Russian leader could allegedly not tolerate the thought of Navalny being freed in a potential prisoner swap.
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