Supporters of prominent Putin critic Alexei Navalny have been urging his supporters to attend his funeral in Moscow tomorrow – and burial at a nearby cemetery.
However, a pastor at the church where the service is due to take place has indicated that it will not be open to all.
“Most likely, only relatives and friends will be allowed to attend the funeral service,” the woman was quoted by the Kholod online newspaper as saying.
“There will be no farewell in the church.”
Responding to the comments, one of Mr Navalny’s closest aides before his death, Ivan Zhdanov, said: “There was some rumour in the media that only relatives would be allowed to attend the funeral service.
“We don’t have any such information. All we know is that the temple will be open to everyone.”
It comes after the European Parliament today adopted a resolution against oppression in Russia following the death of Mr Navalny.
The resolution condemned Mr Navalny’s death in a remote Arctic penal colony earlier this month, and said the Russian government and Vladimir Putin were responsible.
