They hunt him even after his death Alexei Navalny. Associates of the late Russian opposition politician said today that efforts to hire a hearse to transport his body to his funeral in Moscow on Friday, were blocked by unknown persons.

Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Jarmis, said in a post on the social media platform X that unknown people had threatened funeral homes that have hearses by phone. with the result that no office would accept to transport the body.

“At first we were not allowed to rent a ceremony hall for Alexei’s farewell. Now that the funeral service should simply take place in the church, the funeral homes tell us that not a single hearse will accept to transport his body there,” Jarmis wrote in X.

Ivan Zhdanov, another close associate, said Navalny’s team would pull through and find a solution anyway.

Navalny, who died aged 47 on February 16 in an Arctic prison colony, is to be buried in the Russian capital tomorrow, Friday, after a funeral service to be held at a church in the southeastern district where his family lived.

The Kremlin critic’s associates, who promised to webcast the burial ceremony live, they criticized the authorities for not giving permission for a place to be set aside for his body to be displayed in pilgrimage.

The Kremlin said it had nothing to do with such plans.

Today Navalny’s allies called on those who want to but won’t be able to attend his funeral to go to landmarks in their own cities to pay their respects in his memory on Friday night at 7 p.m. local time.

Judging by previous rallies of Navalny supporters – whom Russian authorities have labeled US-backed extremists – there is likely to be a heavy police presence and authorities will break up anything they deem to resemble a political demonstration under protest laws.

Navalny’s wife, Yulia, said she was not sure whether the funeral itself would be peaceful or whether the police would arrest those in attendance.

Navalny’s allies have accused President Vladimir Putin of having him assassinated because the Russian leader reportedly could not bear the thought that Navalny could be freed in a possible prisoner exchange.

They have presented no evidence to support this accusation, but have promised to describe how he was killed and by whom.

The Kremlin has denied state involvement in his death and claims it was unaware of any deal for Navalny’s release. His death certificate – according to his allies – said he “died of natural causes”.