Chevy drivers are refusing to take Navalny's body to a funeral in Moscow, a Putin critic group said.
Attempts to hire a hearse to take the body of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny to his funeral in Moscow have been thwarted by unidentified people, the late politician's team said Thursday.
Spokeswoman Kira Yarmish said the drivers were “called by unknown persons and threatened not to take Alexey's body anywhere.”
According to Yarmish, she was told that “no hearse would agree to take the body there.”
Navalny's entourage had difficulty renting a venue for his funeral, which will be held on Friday at 2:00 pm local time (6 am Miami time) at the church's chapel in Moscow's Marino district. Navalny lived. He will then be buried at Borisov Cemetery.
Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow, where Navalny's funeral will be held. (Credit: Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images)
Several venues said they were already booked for the date or refused to book when Navalny's name was mentioned, while one venue said they were expressly prohibited from working with the dead opposition leader's team, Yarmish said on Tuesday.
Navalny's team initially planned a public farewell and funeral for this Thursday, but “no gravediggers were found who could dig the grave,” Ivan Zhdanov, head of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation, said Wednesday.
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