The funeral arrangements for Alexei Navalny, the late Russian opposition activist, have hit a roadblock as plans to hold the service on Thursday have been disrupted due to a conflicting address by President Vladimir Putin, per statements from Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation. Despite facing obstacles in securing a venue for the funeral and being prohibited from hiring a hall for mourners to pay their respects, Navalny's team has encouraged people to still gather and say farewell to the prominent anti-corruption campaigner, who passed away in an Arctic penal colony on February 16 at the age of 47.

Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, expressed concern over potential disruptions by law enforcement during the farewell, attributing her husband's death to Putin and accusing the Russian government of mistreating Navalny's remains. The Kremlin denies allegations of poisoning Navalny with the nerve agent Novichok, a claim reiterated by Navalnaya during a speech to the European Parliament, where she accused Putin of orchestrating her husband's torture and death.

Efforts to arrange a central venue for Navalny's funeral on Thursday have been thwarted, with a church and cemetery secured for Friday instead. The Anti-Corruption Foundation director, Ivan Zhdanov, disclosed difficulties in finding a suitable hall for the funeral in light of Putin's scheduled parliamentary address on the same day. Zhdanov criticized the lack of cooperation in facilitating the funeral plans and urged supporters to bid a final farewell to Navalny regardless of the setbacks.

The Russian authorities have reported Navalny's death in custody, with conflicting reports suggesting he fell ill during a walk and subsequently lost consciousness. His demise occurred amidst discussions of a potential prisoner exchange involving Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, though the deal was not imminent at the time of Navalny's passing. Navalny, who had previously survived a poisoning attempt, was mourned by hundreds of supporters, sparking renewed calls for accountability and justice in a country growing increasingly repressive under Putin's leadership.