Thousands of people have gathered in Moscow for Alexei Navalny’s funeral despite the risk of arrest – with crowds clapping and chanting his name as his body was being carried inside the church.
The funeral of the prominent Vladimir Putin critic, whose death was announced on 16 February, is being held under heavy police presence.
Hundreds waited for hours to enter the church – and the release of Mr Navalny’s body from the morgue where it was being held was briefly delayed.
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People gather near the Soothe My Sorrows church where funeral took place. Pic: Reuters
After the hearse arrived at the church, the crowd applauded and chanted: “Alexei! Alexei!”
Once the service began, his foundation released an image of the open casket from inside the church.
Pic: Reuters
The Kremlin has urged those gathering in Moscow and other places not to break the law, saying any “unauthorised (mass) gatherings” are violations.
Mourners gathered around his body, which laid in an open casket covered in flowers.
Mr Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, was pictured sitting beside the casket holding a candle, his father was also present at the service.
His wife, Yulia Navalnaya and their two children along with his other closest allies have left Russia because they are considered an extremist organisation within the country.
They watched the funeral via footage streamed live on his YouTube channel.
Mr Navalny died at a penal colony within the Arctic Circle while serving a 19-year prison sentence on charges his supporters said were politically motivated.
The circumstances of Mr Navalny’s death remain unclear – but several world leaders, including Joe Biden, have directly blamed Vladimir Putin and the Russian government.
Mr Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya has also pointed the finger at the Russian president, claiming her husband could have been poisoned with novichok.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in his death.
