The funeral of Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny, who died on February 16 in prison, will take place on Friday March 1, at 2 p.m. local time in Moscow, his team announced on social networks on Wednesday.

"The funeral service for Alexei will be held at the Church of the Our Lady 'Relieve My Sorrow' Icon in Marino on March 1 at 2 p.m. The funeral will take place at the Borisov cemetery" in the southeast of the capital, his team said on Telegram.

According to one of the opponent's close collaborators, Ivan Zhdanov, the burial will take place at 4 p.m. local time, nearly 20 kilometers from the red walls of the Kremlin.

Also read Death of Alexeï Navalny: who are the other opponents of Putin who died prematurely?

Since the handing over of the opponent's body to his mother on Saturday February 24, the team of the former number one detractor of the Kremlin had been looking for a place for a "public farewell" but was "refused" any request, with the authorities saying pressure, according to them, on funeral sites.

Because these funerals could mobilize in numbers the supporters of the former number one opponent of Vladimir Putin and thus be embarrassing for the master of the Kremlin, who is preparing for a new coronation at the end of an unopposed presidential election scheduled for 15 to March 17.

Vladimir Putin has still not officially reacted

“Everywhere, they refused to give us anything. In some places, we were told that it was forbidden,” explained Ivan Zhdanov in a statement on Telegram, castigating “the Kremlin and [Sergueï] Sobyanin”, the mayor of Moscow and close to Vladimir Putin.

The Russian president, who is due to speak to the Federal Assembly on Thursday for his annual address to the Nation, has still not reacted to the death of his main detractor, who narrowly survived a poisoning in 2020 including he was already accusing the master of the Kremlin, despite his denials.

The circumstances of Alexeï Navalny's death on February 16 in prison remain unclear at this stage.

According to the Russian penitentiary service, he died following a sudden malaise “after a walk”.

The opponent's supporters, and many Western leaders, have accused Vladimir Putin of his death, some calling it "murder", after three years of detention.

With AFP

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