Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s funeral and farewell ceremony will be held on Friday in Moscow, his spokesperson has said.
The funeral will be hosted at the Borisovskoye cemetery after a farewell ceremony at a church in the Maryino district, Kira Yarmysh said on the X social network.
Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s strongest domestic critic, fell unconscious and died suddenly aged 47 on February 16 after a walk at the ‘Polar Wolf’ penal colony above the Arctic Circle where he was serving a three-decade sentence.
The West and Navalny’s supporters, including his widow Yulia, 47, say the Russian president is responsible for Navalny’s death.
Russian authorities said the cause of his death at age 47 is still unknown, and the results of any investigation are likely to be questioned abroad.
Many Western leaders have already said they hold Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for his death.
The Kremlin has denied involvement and said that Western claims that Putin was responsible were unacceptable.
Navalny’s allies faced a battle with Russian authorities to have his body released to them amid accusations that he was poisoned.
They also said they were struggling to find a venue for his funeral, with the Kremlin concerned that any public gathering could lead to protests.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow…
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny ‘s funeral and farewell ceremony will be held on Friday in Moscow , his spokesperson has said