Iran executed 834 people last year - rights groups

PARIS, France

Iran executed a “staggering” total of at least 834 people last year, the highest number since 2015 as capital punishment surged in the Islamic republic, two rights groups said Tuesday.

The number of executions, which Iran has carried out by hanging in recent years, was up some 43 percent on 2022.

It marked only the second time in two decades that over 800 executions were recorded in a year, after 972 executions in 2015, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty said in the joint report.

The groups accused Iran of using the death penalty to spread fear throughout society in the wake of the protests sparked by the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini that shook the authorities.

“Instilling societal fear is the regime’s only way to hold on to power, and the death penalty is its most important instrument,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam in the report, which described the figure of 834 as a “staggering total.”

Iran has executed nine men in cases linked to attacks on security forces during the 2022 protests — two in 2022, six in 2023 and one so far in 2024 — according to the rights groups.

But executions have been stepped up on other charges, notably in drug-related cases, which had until recent years seen a fall.

“Of particular concern is the dramatic escalation in the number of drug-related executions in 2023, which rose to 471 people, more than 18 times higher than the figures recorded in 2020,” said the report.

Members of ethnic minorities, notably the Sunni Baluch from the southeast of Iran, are “grossly overrepresented among those executed” on drug-related charges, it said.

At least 167 members of the Baluch minority were executed in total, accounting for 20 percent of the total executions in 2023, even though the minority accounts for only around five percent of Iran’s population.

ECPM director Raphael Chenuil-Hazan said the “lack of reaction” by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was sending “the wrong signal to the Iranian authorities.”

Most hangings in Iran are carried out within the confines of prison but the report said that in 2023 the number of hangings carried out in public in Iran tripled from 2022, with seven people hanged in public spaces.

At least 22 women were executed, marking the highest number in the past decade, the report said.

Fifteen of them were hanged on murder charges and NGOs have long warned that women who kill an abusive partner or relative risk being hanged.

In 2023, only 15 percent of the recorded executions were announced by official Iranian media, with IHR confirming the other executions with its own sources.

Amiry-Moghaddam expressed concern that a lack of international outrage at the executions, in particular with attention focused on the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, was only encouraging the Islamic republic to carry out more hangings.

“The inconsistency in the international community’s reaction to the executions in Iran is unfortunate and sends the wrong signal to the authorities,” he said.

EAST AFRICA Newspapers today 5/3/2024

 TANZANIA Newspapers

Arsenal whirlwind blows Sheffield United away

Sheffield, England

Arsenal entered the record books as a 6-0 demolition of Sheffield United on Monday kept the Gunners on Liverpool and Manchester City's tails in the Premier League title race.

Martin Odegaard, Jayden Bogle's own goal, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice put the visitors 5-0 at halftime before Ben White rounded off the scoring.

Mikel Arteta's men become the first side to ever win three consecutive away games in the English top-flight by five or more goals.

"When we had the ball, we were in a good mood today," said Arsenal captain Odegaard.

"Created a lot, scored the goals early on - a nice performance."

By contrast, Sheffield United also set a new record by becoming the first English top-flight side to concede five or more goals in three straight home matches.

"It's a painful season and the boys are a damaged group of players," said Blades boss Chris Wilder.

"They were in a different league, a different planet to us. We couldn't lay a glove on them."

Arsenal's stunning streak of 31 goals in seven consecutive Premier League wins since a winter break has at least built up a big advantage over their rivals should the title be decided on goal difference.

They remain in third, just two points behind leaders Liverpool and one adrift of defending champions City.

However, Arteta's men can go top with victory at home to Brentford on Saturday ahead of Sunday's showdown between Liverpool and City at Anfield.

"I love the way the team played. The quality and the aggression we showed from the beginning," said Arteta.

"We have to continue to do what we are doing."

Junta leader demands return of Sudan to African Union membership

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, expressed confidence that Sudan would be restored to full membership in the African Union (AU).

He made the remarks on Sunday when he received the delegation of the AU High-Level Panel on the Resolution of the Conflict in Sudan, led by Mohamed Ibn Chambas, in Port Sudan.

"Al-Burhan expressed Sudan's confidence in the African Union and the solutions it could offer, provided that Sudan deals with the organisation as a full member," the statement said.

Al-Burhan further stressed that the basis of the solution lies in the withdrawal of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from the cities and villages they occupied.

For his part, Ibn Chambas urged the need to stop the conflict and achieve stability for Sudan and its people. Further, he said the panel is keen on finding the solutions to the crisis, noting that they would listen to all Sudanese political forces.

On January 17, the AU announced the formation of a High-Level Panel on the Resolution of the Conflict in Sudan. The AU named Ibn Chambas as chairman, and Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, former Ugandan vice president, and Francisco Madeira, former special representative of the chairperson of the AU Commission to Somalia, as members.

The AU had frozen Sudan's membership after Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on October 25, 2021, and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the transitional government which was headed by the then Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

Sudan has witnessed deadly clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since April 15, 2023. More than 13,000 people have been killed, according to recent estimates released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Ghana stands to lose $3.8B over controversial anti-LGBTQ bill - Finance Ministry

ACCRA, Ghana

Ghana's finance ministry has warned the country stands to lose a substantial amount of financing from international banks estimated at USD$3.8 billion over the next five to six years should president Nana Akufo-Addo sign a controversial anti-LGBTQ bill.

The impact could adversely affect Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves and exchange rate stability according to the Finance ministry’s statement released Monday.

ALSO READ: Ghana's parliament passes anti-LGBTQ law

“The Presidency may have a structured engagement with local conservative forces such as religious bodies and faith-based organisations to communicate the economic implications of the passage of the ‘Anti-LGBTQ’ Bill and to build a stronger coalition and a framework for supporting key development initiative that is likely to be affected” the statement added. 

The controversial legislation which prohibits lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy, and funding in the west African nation, was unanimously passed by Parliament last week Wednesday after three years since it was introduced.

If assented to by President Akufo-Addo, the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values (anti-LGBTQ+) bill will among other things, impose sanctions on willful promotion and engaging in LGBTQ activities in Ghana with a minimum sentence of six months and maximum of three years in prison for culprits. 

Activists and international rights groups have condemned the bill.

Mozambique to receive support from Algeria in anti-terror fight

ALGIERS,  Algeria 

Algeria has pledged that it will support Mozambique in its fight against terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique's news agency AIM reported Monday.

Summarizing a four day working visit to Algeria, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi made the announcement on Sunday.

He said that both delegations spoke of forms of equipping, exchanges of information"; adding that an instrument that will guide cooperation in defence and security”, will be concluded.

While work on the giding document is being moves forward, Nyusi added, the Algerian government has promised immediate support in individual equipment for members of the local militias who are fighting the terrorists alongside the armed forces.

Mozambique's ties with Algeria are decades old. Fighters in the Mozambican independence war received their own training in Algeria in the 1960s.

President Felipe Nyusi's announcement comes after Mozambique's government confirmed on February 27 that over 60,000 people were driven from their homes by a wave of recent jihadist attacks in the restive north.

The hydrocarbon rich Cabo Delgado province has been facing attacks for six years. 

Since July 2021 troops from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community are deployed in support of the Mozambican army.

Gaza truce talks in Cairo as heavy fighting rages

CAIRO, Egypt

Mediators in Cairo made a renewed push for a Gaza ceasefire, but differences remained as fighting raged on in the Palestinian territory gripped by desperate food shortages.

US, Qatari and Hamas envoys travelled to Cairo for the latest effort toward a six-week truce, stepped-up aid deliveries and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Their goal has been to secure a truce by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 10 or 11.

But sticking points remained, including a Hamas demand that the Israeli armed forces entirely withdraw from the Gaza Strip after almost five months of devastating war.

Israel boycotted the ceasefire talks in Cairo after Hamas rejected its demand for a complete list naming hostages that are still alive, an Israeli newspaper reported.

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for the talks, billed as a possible final hurdle before an agreement that would halt the fighting for six weeks. But by early evening there was no sign of the Israelis.

“There is no Israeli delegation in Cairo,” Ynet, the online version of Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, quoted unidentified Israeli officials as saying.

A Hamas source on Sunday told AFP its delegation to Cairo is being led by senior leader Khalil Al-Haya.

“The delegation will meet Egyptian mediators and deliver the group’s response to the new Paris proposal,” the source said, in reference to negotiations held last month in the French capital with Israel’s presence.

In Riyadh, Arab foreign ministers on Friday stressed the importance of achieving an immediate ceasefire and ensuring the security of relief corridors for the delivery of humanitarian, food and medical aid.

The 159th regular session of the Foreign Ministerial Council was held at the GCC headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Joint ministerial meetings between the GCC countries and Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan were held to further strengthen cooperation and discuss urgent matters related to besieged Gaza.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in the meetings, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that what was happening in Gaza is part of a systematic plan to annihilate Palestine, adding that “security solutions to the conflict have brought nothing but destruction to the region, and the escalation in Gaza (has) extended to the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab.”

Pope Francis called for Gaza civilians to be given “safe access to the humanitarian aid they urgently need,” telling the faithful at the Vatican that he supports an “immediate ceasefire” and hostage release.

Washington has insisted the ceasefire deal is close and should be in place in time to halt fighting by the start of Ramadan.

But the warring sides have given little sign in public of backing away from previous demands.

After the Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo, a Palestinian official said the deal was “not yet there.” From the Israeli side, there was no official comment.

Also on Sunday, a senior Lebanese official said US envoy Amos Hochstein was due to visit Beirut on Monday to continue diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating the conflict across the Lebanese-Israeli border and bringing stability,

Lebanon’s deputy parliament speaker Elias Bou Saab, one of the officials due to meet Hochstein, said he believed the timing of his visit pointed to progress in efforts to secure a Gaza truce “within the next few hours or days.”

The war began on October 7 with an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

Gaza militants also abducted 250 hostages, of whom 130 remain in captivity according to Israel, a figure that includes 31 presumed dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the besieged Palestinian territory has killed 30,410 people, mostly women and children, the Gaza health ministry reported Sunday.

Mozambique opposition leaders call for dialogue with Cabo Delgado rebels

MAPUTO, Mozambique

The Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the country’s third largest parliamentary political force, on Friday called for dialogue with the rebel groups that have been carrying out attacks in Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique.

“There has to be dialogue, the government has to use the intelligence that is available to it to locate these individuals and establish contacts,” said MDM leader Lutero Simango, speaking to the media in the city of Beira, Sofala province, in the centre of the country.

For the MDM leader, the situation in the northern province of Mozambique is “worrying” and the government should endeavour to understand the real motivations of these groups.

“The government has the capacity to find out the motives of these terrorists and, as a result, establish a line of contact (…). We cannot continue with this situation, strategies must be created to normalise the lives of the public in Cabo Delegado province and, at the end of the day, guarantee the integrity of Mozambican sovereignty,” he said.

On Wednesday, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), the main opposition party, also demanded that the government enter into “dialogue” with the groups responsible for armed attacks in Cabo Delgado, pointing to the “incapacity” of the armed forces to stop the violence.

Cabo Delgado province has been facing attacks claimed by the self-styled Islamic State (IS) for six years, which has led to a military response since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts near gas projects.

In recent weeks, according to official figures, a new wave of attacks has caused a total of 67,321 people to flee their homelands, incursions justified by the Mozambican executive as the result of the “movement of small groups of terrorists” who left their camp (…) towards the south of Cabo Delgado.

Haiti declares curfew as it tries to restore order after weekend jailbreak

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Haiti's government declared a state of emergency and nighttime curfew late Sunday in a bid to regain control of the streets after an explosion of violence over the weekend saw armed gang members storm the country's two biggest prisons.

The 72-hour state of emergency went into immediate effect as the government said it would set out to find the killers, kidnappers and other violent criminals that it reported escaped from the prison.

“The police were ordered to use all legal means at their disposal to enforce the curfew and apprehend all offenders,” said a statement from Finance Minister Patrick Boivert, who is serving as acting prime minister.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry traveled abroad last week to try to salvage support for a United Nations-backed security force to stabilize the country in its conflict with increasingly powerful criminal groups.

The decree capped a deadly weekend that marked a new low in Haiti's downward spiral of violence. At least nine people had been killed since Thursday — four of them police officers — as gangs stepped up coordinated attacks on state institutions in Port-au-Prince. Targets included police stations, the country's international airport, even the national soccer stadium.

But the siege Saturday night of the National Penitentiary came as a shock even to Haitians accustomed to living under the constant threat of violence. Almost all of the estimated 4,000 inmates fled during the jailbreak, leaving the normally overcrowded facility eerily empty Sunday with no guards in sight and plastic sandals, clothing and furniture strewn across the concrete patio. Three bodies with gunshot wounds lay at the prison entrance.

In another neighborhood, the bloodied corpses of two men with their hands tied behind the backs lay face down as residents walked past roadblocks set up with burning tires.

Among the few dozen that chose to stay in the prison are 18 former Colombian soldiers accused of working as mercenaries in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. Amid the clashes Saturday night, several of the Colombians shared a video pleading for their lives.

“Please, please help us,” one of the men, Francisco Uribe, said in the message widely shared on social media. "They are massacring people indiscriminately inside the cells.”

On Sunday, Uribe told journalists who walked breezily into the normally highly guarded facility, “I didn't flee because I'm innocent."

Colombia's foreign ministry called on Haiti to provide “special protection” for the men.

In the absence of official information, inmates' family members rushed to the prison to check on loved ones.

“I don’t know whether my son is alive or not,” said Alexandre Jean as she roamed around the cells looking for any sign of him. “I don’t know what to do.”

The violence Saturday night appeared to be widespread, with several neighborhoods reporting gunfire.

A second Port-au-Prince prison containing around 1,400 inmates was also overrun. Gang gunmen also occupied and vandalized the nation's top soccer stadium, taking one employee hostage for hours, Haiti's soccer federation said in a statement. Internet service for many residents was down as Haiti’s top mobile network said a fiber optic cable connection was slashed during the rampage.

In the space of less than two weeks, several state institutions have been attacked by the gangs, which are increasingly coordinating their actions and choosing once unthinkable targets like the Central Bank. As part of coordinated attacks by gangs, four police officers were killed Thursday.

After gangs opened fire at Haiti's international airport last week, the U.S. Embassy said it was halting all official travel to the country and on Sunday night urged all American citizens to depart as soon as possible. The embassy said it would also cancel until Thursday all consular appointments.

The epicenter of the latest violence Saturday night was Haiti's National Penitentiary, which was holding several gang leaders. Amid the exchange of gunfire, police appealed for assistance.

“They need help,” a union representing police said in a message on social media bearing an “SOS” emoji repeated eight times. “Let’s mobilize the army and the police to prevent the bandits from breaking into the prison.”

Haiti’s National Police has roughly 9,000 officers to provide security for more than 11 million people, according to the U.N. They are routinely overwhelmed and outgunned by gangs, which are estimated to control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince.

Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation, has claimed responsibility for the surge in attacks. He said the goal was to capture Haiti’s police chief and government ministers and prevent Henry’s return.

The prime minister, a neurosurgeon, has shrugged off calls for his resignation and didn’t comment when asked if he felt it was safe to come home.

Chad junta leader Deby Itno to run for president

N'DJAMENA, Chad 

Chad's interim President, General Mahamat Idriss Deby said Saturday he plans to run in this year's long-awaited presidential race.

Deby's confirmation came at the end of a chaotic week in which opposition politician Yaya Dillo was shot and killed in the capital, N'Djamena.

Dillo's death on Wednesday in disputed circumstances has further exposed divisions in the ruling elite at a politically sensitive time as the Central African country prepares for the promised return to democratic rule via the ballot box.

The Chadian government has said Dillo was killed in an exchange of gunfire with security forces and has accused members of his party of also attacking the internal security agency.

On Friday, the government confirmed that Deby's uncle, General Saleh Deby Itno, had been arrested in the wake of Wednesday's events.

Itno had recently defected to Dillo's opposition Socialist Party Without Borders, or PSF.

"He has now been charged by the public prosecutor, and his life is in no danger," government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah said, without specifying what charges Itno faces.

Chadian rebel group the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, or FACT, and the CNRD opposition party have described Dillo's death as an assassination.

The URT opposition party said Dillo "democratically opposed the dangerous trajectory of the military transition in Chad."

In a statement on Saturday, the URT said recent events were "a dangerous and deliberate move to muzzle the political opposition."

Addressing supporters and state officials, Deby announced his candidacy for the May-June election in a speech that made no reference to Dillo's killing or his uncle's arrest.

"It is ... with a mixture of honor, humility, responsibility and gratitude that I accept this nomination," he said.

Deby initially promised an 18-month transition to elections after he seized power in 2021, when his long-ruling father was killed in clashes with rebels.

But his government later adopted resolutions that postponed elections until 2024 and allowed him to run for president.

The electoral delay triggered protests that were violently quelled by security forces with around 50 civilians killed.

Nigerian comic actor, Mr Ibu dies after prolonged illness

LAGOS, Nigeria

Veteran Nigerian actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, who was loved for his comic roles in movies and skits, was confirmed dead on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at a hospital in Lagos. 

He was said to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

His death came barely 24 hours after another actor, Quadri Oyebamiji, aka Sisi Quadri, passed away in Osun State.

Paying tributes to the late Okafor, the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, wrote on his Instagram, “Sad day for the Actors Guild of Nigeria. Kate Henshaw lost her mother earlier today, and Mr Ibu suffered cardiac arrest, according to his manager of 24 years, Don Nwuzor. I announce with a deep sense of grief that Mr Ibu did not make it. May his soul rest in peace.”

On her part, an actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, wrote, “It is well…rest well, sir.”

Peter, a singer and member of the pop group, P-Square, wrote, “Rest well, Mr Ibu. We will definitely miss you, brother.”

Recall that had battled ill health for some time, leading to the amputation of his legs. This was after he had appealed to his fans and members of the public to prayer for him and render financial assistance to cover his medical bills.

However, as the actor lay on his hospital bed, members of his family were in a fierce battle, During this period, his family seemed to have been in a fierce battle, as they accused one another of wanting to embezzle the money raised by members of the public.

It was also alleged that the actor was involved in an affair with his adopted daughter, Chioma (Jasmine); though both parties denied the allegations.

Indeed, the actor’s last years had been tumultuous. On different occasions, he claimed to have survived several poison attempts. According to him, three attempts were made on his life but he survived them all.

Actors who have passed on this year include Sisi Quadri and Deji Akinremi, aka Olofa Ina.

Simba S C beat Jwaneng 6-0 to book knock-out stage

By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania 

Tanzanian giants, Simba SC marched into the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League in style with a 6-0 thrashing of Jwaneng Galaxy on Saturday to book knock on Saturday evening at Benjamin Mkapa stadium  in Dar es Salaam.

The Tanzanians march into the knockout stages of the competition for a second time in a row and will be aiming at making stronger statement this season. 

The resounding victory by Simba meant former champions, Wydad AC’s 1-0 win over Asec Mimmosas was futile, as the Tanzanians marched on courtesy of goals by Saidi Ntibazonkiza, Pape Omar Jobe, Kibu Denis, Clatous Chama, Ladaki Chasami and Fabrice Ngoma.

The two results marked the conclusion of an exciting Group B that sees Asec Mimosas finish top of the group with 12 points, followed by Simba with 9, and sees the exit of Wydad and Galaxy. 

Another Tanzanian team, Young Africa's SC also sailed to the knockout stage.

Bomb threat forces president Mnangagwa to cancel trip to Victoria Falls

HARARE, Zimbabwe

A bomb scare shut down Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls Airport on Friday, forcing the country's president to cancel a planned address at a conference on renewable energy, an official said.

Zimbabwean President Edson Mnangagwa was due to address the conference in the morning, but "had to suspend his trip to allow for investigations which are already underway," presidential spokesman George Charamba said.

Authorities couldn't confirm local media reports that the president's plane made a U-turn while traveling to the conference.

Charamba said that airport authorities were informed by Fastjet airline about an email sent "by a John Doe" claiming a "credible bomb/firearm threat" targeting Zimbabwe's airports.

Security systems are "now on heightened alert," Charamba said, urging people to be calm while investigations proceed.

"While our country is peaceful, and all our ports of entry are well secured, such alerts on possible terrorist attacks are taken very seriously," he said.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe said that the incident had forced some flights to divert or delay landing, and more disruptions were likely "to allow for the continuous monitoring of the environment."

While such incidents are unusual in southern African countries, a 2018 explosion in Zimbabwe's second-largest city, Bulawayo, killed two people and wounded about 50 others during a campaign rally before the presidential election that year.

Mnangagwa, who said the blast occurred just "inches" from him, was unharmed. But two vice presidents and other top officials were among the wounded, and two security aides later died from their injuries. Two men who were arrested after the explosion were later freed for a lack of evidence.

Kenya, Haiti Sign Security Deal

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya and Haiti signed a security deal Friday that Nairobi hopes will satisfy a domestic court's objections to a plan to send 1,000 police officers to lead a U.N.-supported peacekeeping mission to address gang violence in the restive Caribbean nation.

Kenya first volunteered to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti in response to an appeal from Port-Au-Prince and the United Nations for international support.

Kenya’s High Court blocked the move in January, saying it was unconstitutional and could go forward only if there was a “reciprocal agreement” between the two nations.

At a ceremony in Nairobi Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto, alongside Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, said the two governments signed a “reciprocal instrument” to allow the deployment to go forward and “discussed the next steps to enable the fast-tracking of the deployment.”

“We believe this is a historic duty because peace in Haiti is good for the world as a whole,” Ruto said.

The announcement came after a day of gun violence throughout Port-au-Prince. Reports say authorities battled gang members who targeted police stations, a police academy and the Toussaint-Louverture International Airport.

The violence forced the airport, businesses, government agencies and schools to close as families ran through the streets in panic.

Gang leader Jimmy Cherizier — who goes by the nickname “Barbecue” — issued a video statement saying a coordinated attack by armed groups was underway to oust Prime Minister Henry.

He said that the groups wanted the prime minister to resign and “free the country” and that they would “use all strategies” to achieve the goal.

Henry became Haiti’s leader after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise three years ago, plunging the country into extraordinary levels of violence and chaos. He has twice promised to hold new elections but has reneged each time.

Gangs control many areas of Port-au-Prince, and police in Haiti have been unable to control the violence.

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.