Putin accused of mocking Navalny's memory with restriction on funeral

Allies of Alexei Navalny have accused the Kremlin of blocking their attempts to organise a bigger memorial event for the late Russian opposition leader, as it was announced that his funeral would be held tomorrow in Moscow.

- Pjotr Sauer

The funeral will take place at the Borisovskoye cemetery in Moscow after a farewell ceremony at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the Maryino district of the Russian capital where Navalny used to live, his spokesperson, Kira Yarmish, announced.

"Come in advance," Yarmish wrote on X.

The memorial service, presided over by a priest and accompanied by choral singing, allows people to walk past the open casket of the deceased to say their farewells.

Ivan Zhdanov, another close Navalny ally, said his team was unable to find a venue where his supporters could publicly bid him farewell later this week. The event was supposed to be separate from the funeral service.

Zhdanov said his team had initially found a hall for 29 February but that they had then been put under pressure to hold a closed remembrance service without the public. "Bastards. They won't give us the date we want. They won't give us the hall. Everyone will say goodbye to Alexei anyway," Zhdanov wrote on X.

"To have a chance to say goodbye, it's best to arrive early," he added.