Attempts to Hire a Hearse for Alexei Navalny’s Funeral Thwarted
Source: CNN
Unknown individuals have reportedly been sabotaging efforts to hire a hearse to transport the body of Alexei Navalny to his funeral, according to his team.
Spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh claimed that the drivers engaged to transport the body have been threatened by these unknown individuals, discouraging them from fulfilling their obligations.
Yarmysh further stated that no hearse was willing to accept the task of transporting Navalny’s body.
The team encountered similar obstacles when attempting to secure a venue for the funeral, which will be held on Friday at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow’s Maryino district, the same area where Navalny resided. Following the service, Navalny will be buried at Borisov Cemetery.
The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow, where Navalny’s funeral will be held.
Many venues claimed to be occupied, declined the booking immediately upon hearing Navalny’s name, or candidly stated their policy against cooperating with Navalny’s team, said Yarmysh.
Initially, the team planned to hold a public farewell and funeral for the late Russian opposition leader on Thursday. However, they were informed on Wednesday that no cemetery workers were available to dig a grave, explained Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Navalnaya Blames Putin for Husband’s Death
Navalny, currently serving a 19-year prison sentence for multiple charges including creating an extremist community, financing extremist activists, and other crimes, passed away on February 16 in a Siberian penal colony. Prior to his imprisonment, he had been serving an 11-and-a-half-year sentence in a maximum-security facility on fraud charges.
According to the Russian prison service, Navalny fell unconscious shortly after feeling unwell during a walk at the Siberian penal colony.
Navalny, known for his persistent criticisms of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had a consistently precarious position due to his opposition activities. His death comes shortly before the country’s presidential elections scheduled to take place on March 15, an event perceived internationally as a mere formality safeguarding Putin’s fifth term in power.
Navalny’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief and anger both within Russia and around the world, as expressing any form of political dissent in Russia carries immense risks.
Following his poisoning with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok, Navalny returned to Russia in 2021 after medical treatment in Germany. Upon his return, he was promptly arrested and has remained imprisoned ever since, dismissing the charges against him as politically motivated.
During her speech at the European Parliament, Navalny’s wife Yulia blamed President Putin for her husband’s death, asserting, “Putin killed my husband. On his orders, Alexey was tortured for three years.” Navalny’s team alleges that his body was held in order to pressure the family to agree to a private funeral.
The Kremlin has consistently denied any involvement in Navalny’s death.
Yulia Navalnaya also expressed concerns that the police might crack down on mourners attending the funeral on Friday.
Over 400 people were detained at pop-up memorials for Navalny across 32 Russian cities, as reported by the human rights monitoring group OVD-Info.
CNN’s Anna Chernova contributed to this report.
