Alexei Navalny, the leader of the late Russian opposition, will have his funeral on Friday in Moscow. Those who wish to attend the funeral will have to risk being arrested.
Two weeks have passed since Navalny passed away in an Arctic prison from pressures reported by his team, who believe Russian President Vladimir Putin killed his chief opponent. The ceremony is scheduled to take place.
Putin, who is renowned for never mentioning Navalny’s name in public, has not made any remarks regarding the passing, which has outraged Russian opposition and Western officials alike.
At 2:00 pm (1100 GMT), the religious ceremony will take place at the Mother of God Quench My Sorrows church in Maryino, which is located outside of Moscow.
In line with Orthodox practices, the body of Navalny — who had embraced Christianity — will be displayed in an open casket.
Two hours later, the burial is set to take place at the Borisovo cemetery, a short walk from the banks of the river Moskva.
It’s still unknown what the burial will entail and how many mourners will be permitted to attend.
Authorities have not yet provided a statement regarding how they will manage the situation, which might result in a humiliating demonstration of Navalny’s support.
On the eve of the funeral, about a dozen police officers were already on duty at the cemetery, which supporters worry would be troubled by the Kremlin.
