The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny took place in Moscow on Friday, even as his team had earlier accused authorities of trying to disrupt it and prevent people from gathering to pay their respects to Vladimir Putin's most potent critic.
The funeral service was held at a small church in the southern suburb of Marino, with the Russian opposition leader's casket open during the service. Navalny was to be buried at the nearby Borisov cemetery, according to his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh.
Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila, and the mother of his wife attended, consoling each other, but his widow Yulia and their two children -- as well as Navalny's brother Oleg -- could not attend the funeral fearing arrest. They posted messages on social media during the service expressing their love for him and promising him they would make him proud.
Navalny's team had accused authorities of trying to block a public funeral, fearing protests, but his colleagues on Thursday insisted anyone wishing to say farewell should come regardless of threats.
Some 91 people had been arrested in 19 cities nationwide at commemorations, according to an independent nongovernmental organization that monitors arrests, but in general police so far have largely not moved to disperse crowds.
Navalny was buried to the music from the final scene of "Terminator 2," a film he loved and a last joke from him typical of his humor.
People lined up for hours to pay respects at Navalny's grave, with police allowing small groups of mourners to go in. Crowds have also chanted anti-war slogans in Moscow, the largest such demonstrations since the start of the war. The crowds sometimes also shouted “Ukrainians are good people.”
Navalny's team has also called on people outside Moscow to go to memorials for Navalny in their respective cities.
"Despite all the resistance, the farewell to Alexey will definitely take place tomorrow," Yarmysh wrote Thursday on X, formerly Twitter, adding that the service will begin at 2 p.m. local time and the burial will take place two hours later. "If you are in Moscow -- come," she said.
Since Navalny's death in an Arctic prison colony two weeks ago, police have detained hundreds of people trying to lay flowers at monuments to political repression to honor him.
Photos circulated by local Russian social media news channels Thursday evening appeared to show police stacking barricades near the church where the funeral service would be held.
Navalnaya has lived in exile for several years and would likely face arrest if she returned to Russia.
She accused Putin and Moscow's mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, on Wednesday of trying to prevent a public ceremony for Navalny.
"People in the Kremlin killed him, then they abused Alexey's body, then abused his mother, now they are abusing his memory," she wrote on X. "We don't want any special treatment -- just give the opportunity to people to say goodbye normally to Alexey. Just don't interfere, please."