The Kremlin critic Navalny is to be buried in Moscow today. Several people were already gathering at the church. Observers fear that the police could arrest supporters of the deceased.
Russia’s power apparatus has set up an unprecedented threatening backdrop for the mourners at the church and cemetery ahead of the funeral of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny in Moscow today.
Metal grilles were set up over a wide area, dozens of emergency vehicles with uniformed officers took up positions early in the morning, and uniformed officers checked documents and personal belongings of passers-by, as Russian media reported. Numerous police officers were also stationed at the Borisovskoye cemetery, where Navalany was to be buried.
People gather at church
Cordon and surveillance: The police at the Borisovskoye cemetery in Moscow.
The funeral service for Navalny is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. local time (12:00 p.m. CET) at the church in honor of the Mother of God icon “Relieve my grief” in the southeastern district of Marjino, as Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysch confirmed. The burial will take place two hours later at the Borisovskoye Cemetery, about half an hour’s walk away.
Arrests feared
It is feared that the Russian power apparatus will take tough action against Navalny’s supporters. On Thursday, the police took up positions in front of the cemetery and checked IDs and bags of passers-by.
In addition, numerous barriers were brought to the cemetery grounds. In the past few weeks, hundreds of people have been arrested across Russia who wanted to lay flowers at monuments for the well-known opposition politician.
The widow of the Kremlin critic, Yulia Navalnaya, who wants to continue his opposition work in exile, also says she fears that mourners will be arrested by the police. In Russia, the mourners usually say goodbye to the deceased at an open coffin.
Navalny supporters called on people who cannot attend the funeral in person to gather at certain points in their hometowns on Friday evening. The Kremlin has dismissed these comments as a provocation and warned that police would enforce the law. Judging by previous gatherings of Navalny supporters, a heavy police presence is to be expected.
Navalny spokeswoman: Preparations for funeral service difficult
Navalny spokeswoman Yarmysch complained on Platform X on Thursday afternoon that the authorities were continuing to hinder preparations for the funeral service. She wrote on Thursday afternoon that it had still not been possible to organize a hearse to bring Navalny’s body to the church. Moscow funeral homes received threatening calls from unknown people warning them not to transport the body.
What also caused horror was that Navalny’s relatives had to search for his body for days after his death and were later apparently harassed and blackmailed by representatives of the state apparatus.
According to mother Lyudmila Navalnaya, the Kremlin wanted Navalny to be buried secretly. However, she repeatedly defended herself against this. Finally, Navalny’s team declared that they wanted to organize a location for the funeral service.
According to official information, Navalny died on February 16 at the age of 47 in a prison camp north of the Arctic Circle. The sharp critic of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was physically very weakened by a poison attack in 2020 and constant solitary confinement in the camp. His supporters and many international observers therefore agree that there can be no question of a “natural” cause of death, as the death certificate states. According to Russian authorities, the cause of death is unknown.
Björn Blaschke, ARD Moscow, currently Chisinau, tagesschau, March 1, 2024 12:00 p.m