Supporters of late Alexei Navalny, the most outspoken critic of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, have gathered on Friday to attend the opposition leader's funeral. Massive presence of police is reported in the vicinity of a church in Moscow's southeast Maryino district where the memorial service is to be held.
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Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that "the Kremlin has nothing to say in this regard to Navalny's family."
The statement came after Navalny's mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, said in a video that the authorities withheld his body, threatening to bury it on the prison territory, if she does not abstain from holding a public memorial service. Navalnaya called it blackmail.
Navalny's team struggled to find a venue that would host the event, while drivers reportedly refused to transport his body due to alleged pressure from the authorities.
Peskov threatened the funeral attendees, saying "those who take part in any unauthorized rallies on the day of Navalny's funeral will be held accountable by law."
Rights groups have issued instructions on how to behave in case of detention as mass arrests are expected at the event.
