The burial of Alexei Navalny is anticipated to take place later today, and there has been no communication from his wife, Yuliya, thus far.

Yuliya is thought to be currently overseas, with her specific location remaining undisclosed.

In a recent emotionally charged address at the European Parliament, she claimed that her husband had been subjected to torture, starvation, isolation, and ultimately met his demise on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin has previously dismissed accusations of government complicity in Navalny’s death as “absurd.”

Authorities deployed officers in the vicinity of the Moscow church where the burial of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is scheduled for later on Friday. Supporters of Navalny estimated a gathering of over 1,000 people bidding farewell to the prominent critic.

Navalny, aged 47, and renowned as President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken adversary within Russia, passed away on February 16 in an Arctic penal colony. His demise prompted allegations from his followers, asserting that he had been deliberately killed. The Kremlin has consistently refuted any state connection to his death.

As the funeral of Alexei Navalny approaches, tensions are palpable due to the authorities’ decision to label his movement as extremist. Navalny’s supporters have been depicted as troublemakers backed by the United States, accused of inciting revolution. Past gatherings organized by his supporters have been forcefully dispersed.

The church chosen for the funeral, a grand white domed building located in a southeastern Moscow suburb, was heavily secured on Friday morning. Metal crash barriers encircled the area, with numerous police vehicles stationed nearby, underscoring the heightened security measures in place.

People carrying flowers arrived in the early hours in hopes of gaining entry as the morgue, housing Alexei Navalny’s body, initiated the release process to his family. Approximately one and a half hours before the scheduled service, allies claimed that over 1,000 individuals had congregated near the church to bid farewell. Reuters was unable to independently verify this attendance figure.

A religious service in honor of Navalny is set to take place at 14:00 local time in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, situated in the Moscow district of Maryino, where Navalny resided.