MOSCOW — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died suddenly in an Arctic prison colony two weeks ago, will be buried Friday in Moscow, his spokeswoman said, after days of reported pressure and blackmail by Russian authorities.
Kira Yarmysh said on social media that a funeral will take place at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Navalny’s hometown of Maryino, a district on the southwest periphery of the capital, at 2 p.m. Friday. The burial will then be held at Borisov Cemetery.
“Come early,” Yarmysh wrote.
Since Navalny was announced dead by prison officials on Feb. 16, the circumstances of his death and funeral plans have been the subject of intense speculation, with many supporters saying the Kremlin wants to avoid a public burial attended by crowds.
Russia’s leading activist against President Vladimir Putin died in a Russian prison colony on Feb. 16. (Video: Zoeann Murphy, Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)
According to Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, investigators tried to pressure the family into holding a secret, private funeral — and at one point threatened to let Navalny’s body decompose if they did not comply.
Since Navalnaya was finally able to claim her son’s body last week, aides to the late politician reported that it had been impossible to find a venue for the funeral.
“Some places say the space is busy, some places refuse upon mention of the name ‘Navalny.’ In one place we were directly told that funeral agencies were prohibited from working with us,” Yarmysh wrote on social media Tuesday.
Navalny’s wife, family and colleagues have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering the killing of Navalny, his greatest challenger and critic. Navalny survived a poisoning attempt in 2020, which was later proved to be carried out by Russian state agents.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the allegation “absolutely unacceptable” and “boorish.”