Russian funeral homes have been “forbidden” to organize a service for Alexei Navalny after his death in an Arctic penal colony, allies of the Putin critic have claimed.
Navalny’s spokeswoman said today that his allies had been unable to find a place in Russia where people could pay their respects to the opposition leader, who many in the West believe was killed at Putin’s request earlier this month.
Kira Yarmysh wrote on X: ‘Since yesterday we have been looking for a place where we can say goodbye to Alexei. We visit most public and private funeral agencies, commercial sites and funeral parlors.
‘In some places they say the space is occupied, in others they refuse to mention the name “Navalny.” In one place we were told directly that funeral companies were prohibited from working with us.’
Navalny’s team says Moscow funeral homes prohibit them from holding a farewell ceremony for the opposition leader.
Navalny’s spokeswoman said today that his allies had been unable to find a place in Russia where people could pay their respects to the opposition leader who died in prison this month.
A photo of Navalny lies among flowers near the Wall of Pain monument in Moscow on February 17.
It is also reported that the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill asked the Russian president to hand over the body of the devout Navalny to his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya.
Navalny died at the Polar Wolf penal colony just hours after appearing on a live court video looking fit and healthy.
Putin officials appear to be trying to block Navalny’s funeral on February 29, when the dictator delivers a major annual speech to the Russian Federal Assembly.
The speech is considered to lay out his plans for the coming years of his dictatorship.
He considers it a key moment in his electoral campaign seeking a new six-year term, although the result – a landslide victory – is a foregone conclusion.
An informed source told Verstka that the Kremlin did not want a clash between Navalny’s funeral and Putin’s speech.
“Now nothing should distract us from the president’s message, which is essentially his [election] program. In this sense, March 1 is the ideal date [for the funeral,’ the source said.
The Kremlin today warned Russians not to use Navalny’s funeral as a moment for protests.
‘These people, so-called supporters [of Navalny] “They are well known for their provocative calls to violate the laws of the Russian Federation,” said Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill is also reported to have asked the Russian president to hand over the body of the devout Navalny to his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya (pictured).
Putin officials appear to be trying to block Navalny’s funeral on February 29, when the dictator delivers a major annual speech to the Russian Federal Assembly.
Navalny died at the Polar Wolf penal colony in the Russian Arctic just hours after appearing on a live court video looking fit and healthy.
“This is a very harmful practice and has legal and law enforcement consequences for those who respond to these calls.”
It took nine days to deliver the body to Navalny’s mother. Russian authorities say she died of “natural causes.”
Navalny’s associates said yesterday that talks were being held shortly before his death to exchange him for a Russian imprisoned in Germany.
‘Alexei Navalny could have been sitting here now, today. He is not a figure of speech,” Maria Pevchikh, a close associate who lives outside Russia, said in a video posted on social media.
He said he received confirmation that talks were in the “final stages” on February 15, the day before Navalny’s death was reported.
Her claims, which were reiterated on social media by other Navalny associates, could not be independently confirmed and she offered no evidence to support them.
According to Pevchikh, Navalny and two American citizens detained in Russia were supposed to be exchanged for Vadim Krasikov.
He was serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 murder in Berlin of Zelimkhan ‘Tornike’ Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen descent.
German judges said Krasikov acted on orders from Russian authorities, who gave him a false identity, passport and resources to carry out the murder.
German officials declined to comment when asked whether Russia had made any efforts to secure a Krasikov trade.