Navalny's Widow Fears Arrests at Funeral
The funeral of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died on February 16 in a prison in northern Russia, is scheduled for Friday, March 1, in Moscow.
Russian authorities have increased security around the cemetery where he will be buried, while Navalny's wife, Yulia, expressed concern about potential disruptions during the ceremony. Libertatea.ro reports this, citing Reuters.
The funeral service for Navalny will take place at 2:00 p.m. Moscow time (1:00 p.m. Moldova time) at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the Marina district, where Navalny lived. After that, Navalny's body will be taken to the Borisov Cemetery, about 2.5 km away on the other side of the Moskva River, the Russian opposition figure's team said.
Authorities have been patrolling the area near the Borisov Cemetery, located near a busy road, since Wednesday, a Reuters reporter at the scene noted. Metal fences have also been erected at the entrance, and "external surveillance cameras are installed on every lamppost" along the perimeter.
"The funeral will take place on Friday and I'm not sure yet if it will proceed without incident or if the police will arrest those who come to say goodbye to my husband," Yulia Navalnaya said in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Alexei Navalny died on February 16 at the age of 47 in a penal colony in Siberia, in the Arctic zone. He had been in prison since 2021 and was serving several sentences that he has called acts of political revenge for leading the anti-Kremlin opposition.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
