Navalny supporters expect crackdown as funeral set for Friday in Moscow

State of play: A funeral service will be held at a church on the outskirts of Moscow followed by a burial at the city's Borisovskoye Cemetery, Navalny's spokesperson Kira Yarmysh wrote on X Wednesday.

• Yarmysh advised those planning to attend to "come early."
• Ivan Zhdanov, the former director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, alleged in a Telegram post Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was in the process of "releasing all his dogs to prevent the funeral from taking place normally."

What they're saying: Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, voiced concerns about the funeral while addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg Wednesday.

• "I am not sure yet whether it will be peaceful or whether police will arrest those who have come to say goodbye to my husband," she said, the Washington Post reported.

Zoom out: In the wake of Navalny's death, Russian authorities detained hundreds of mourners across Russia who gathered at vigils to honor the opposition leader.

• The Biden administration has held that the Russian government is to blame for Navalny's death.
• A Navalny ally alleged earlier this week that Navalny was "killed" because he was close to being freed in a prisoner swap deal.

Go deeper: How Navalny became Putin's biggest political foe