Moscow, 1 March 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Security forces in Russia's capital on Friday mounted a show of force as mourners gathered for the funeral of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, who died two weeks ago in an Arctic prison.

Metal fences were erected over a wide area ahead of the ceremony at a Moscow church and cemetery, while dozens of emergency vehicles with uniformed personnel took up position from the early morning.

Officers checked documents and personal belongings of passers-by and mobile internet services were also reportedly shut down in the area. 

The proceedings were to start at 2 pm (1100 GMT) at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the south-eastern Marino district. A notice was reportedly posted there asking people not to film or take photographs. The funeral was planned for two hours later at the Borissovskoye cemetery.

In recent days, police arrested hundreds of people laying flowers in Navalny's memory at sites across the country.

The heightened security measures indicated that even after his death, Navalny, a main challenger to President Vladimir Putin in recent years, remains a major cause of concern for the authorities. 

Navalny's supporters, relatives and human rights activists accuse Putin of ordering the killing of the opposition leader. The Kremlin rejects this, while continuing preparations for elections on March 15-17 that are expected to install Putin for a fifth term.

Photo: EPA