Hundreds gather for funeral of Alexei Navalny despite arrest fears

MOSCOW, Russia

Hundreds of people in Russia have been gathering for the funeral service of Alexei Navalny, the vocal Putin critic who died in jail last month.

Police have set up barriers around the church outside Moscow where the ceremony is due to take place ahead of his burial later in the day.

It is unclear how events will unfold as his team had complained of not even being able to find a hearse.

They have accused the Kremlin of having killed the opposition leader.

But authorities say Navalny died of natural causes.

Navalny died on 16 February in the Russian prison inside the Arctic Circle. He had been jailed for three years on trumped-up charges.

The memorial service has been scheduled for 14:00 Moscow time (11:00 GMT) at the Church of the Icon of Our Lady Quench My Sorrows, in Maryino.

The burial will then take place at the Borisovskoye Cemetery nearby at 16:00.

Anatoly Navalny, and Lyudmila Navalnaya parents of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny walk to the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows, in Moscow

The funeral service will also be streamed online on Navalny's YouTube channel.

But hours before the ceremony, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said they were having difficulties with arrangements.

"Unknown people are calling mortuaries and threatening them if they accept to take Alexei's body," Ms Yarmysh said.

The opposition leader's team - who are overseas and have encouraged people to attend - have shared a map of the route between the two locations.

They also shared a list of places abroad - from Seoul to Rome, Montreal and Stockholm - where people can join memorial services.