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Portrait: Alexei Navalny, opposition leader, lawyer, documentary filmmaker, anti-corruption activist and political prisoner murdered by the fascist Putin regime

Wednesday, 21 February 2024 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Russia / Russland
Category/Kategorie: Portrait Reading Time:  12 minutes

🔊 Listen to this Post Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny was a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, anti-corruption activist, and political prisoner. He organised anti-government demonstrations and ran for office to advocate reforms against corruption in Russia, and against President Vladimir Putin and his government. Navalny was a Russian Opposition Coordination Council member. He was the leader of the Russia of the Future party and founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). He was recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, and was awarded the Sakharov Prize for his work on human rights.

As of 2021, Navalny had more than six million YouTube subscribers; through his social media channels, he and his team published material about corruption in Russia, organised political demonstrations and promoted his campaigns. In a 2011 radio interview, he described Russia’s ruling party, United Russia, as a “party of crooks and thieves“, which became a popular epithet. Navalny and the FBK have published investigations detailing alleged corruption by high-ranking Russian officials and their associates.

In July 2013, Navalny received a suspended sentence for embezzlement. He was allowed to run in the 2013 Moscow mayoral election and came second, with 27% of the vote, outperforming expectations but losing to incumbent mayor Sergey Sobyanin, a Putin appointee. In December 2014, Navalny received another suspended sentence for embezzlement. Both criminal cases were widely considered politically motivated and intended to bar him from running in future elections. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) later ruled that the cases violated Navalny’s right to a fair trial, but the sentences were never overturned. In December 2016, Navalny launched his presidential campaign for the 2018 presidential election but was barred by Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) after registering due to his prior criminal conviction; the Russian Supreme Court subsequently rejected his appeal. In 2017, the documentary He Is Not Dimon to You was released, accusing Dmitry Medvedev, the then prime minister and previous president, of corruption, leading to mass protests. In 2018, Navalny initiated Smart Voting, a tactical voting strategy intended to consolidate the votes of those who oppose United Russia, to the party of seats in elections.

In August 2020, Navalny was hospitalised in serious condition after being poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent. He was medically evacuated to Berlin and discharged a month later. Navalny accused Putin of being responsible for his poisoning, and an investigation implicated agents from the Federal Security Service. In January 2021, Navalny returned to Russia and was immediately detained on accusations of violating parole conditions while he was hospitalised in Germany which were imposed as a result of his 2014 conviction. Following his arrest and the release of the documentary Putin’s Palace, which accused Putin of corruption, mass protests were held across Russia. In February 2021, his suspended sentence was replaced with a prison sentence of over two and a half years’ detention, and his organisations were later designated as extremist and liquidated, including the FBK. In March 2022, Navalny was sentenced to an additional nine years in prison after being found guilty of embezzlement and contempt of court in a new trial described as a sham by Amnesty International; his appeal was rejected and in June, he was transferred to a high-security prison. In August 2023, Navalny was sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison on extremism charges meaning he would be released in December 2038. Navalny commented that his sentence is as long as either his life or the life of the political regime in the country.

In December 2023, Navalny went missing from prison for almost three weeks. He re-emerged in an arctic circle corrective colony in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. On 16 February 2024, the Russian prison service reported that Navalny had died at the age of 47. How Putin’s gang of murderers actually tortured Navalny to death will perhaps be known in a few decades, perhaps never.

Read more on Time Magazine, 16 February 2024: Jailed Russian Opposition Politician and Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Has Died, Says Prison Service, PBS, 16 February 2024: World leaders blame Putin’s government in Russia for death of Alexei Navalny, Forbes, 16 February 2024: Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Has Died, Russian Prison Service Says, The Washington Post, 16 February 2024: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison, officials say, The New York Times, 16 February 2024: Live Updates: Navalny’s Death Would Deprive Russia of Leading Opposition Voice, Le Monde, 16 February 2024: Alexei Navalny, main opponent to Putin, has died, Russian prison service says, Financial Times, 16 February 2024: Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny has died, says prison service, CBS News, 16 February 2024: Alexey Navalny dead in a Russian penal colony, prison service says, CNBC, 16 February 2024: Jailed Putin opponent Alexei Navalny has died, Russian media says, BBC, 16 February 2024: Putin critic Alexei Navalny, 47, dies in Arctic Circle jail, NPR, 16 February 2024: Alexei Navalny, Russian politician who opposed Putin to the end, has died in prison, CNN, 16 February 2024: Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny dies, prison service says, Politico.eu, 16 February 2024: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is dead, prison service says, Reuters, 16 February 2024: Alexei Navalny, prominent Putin foe, dies in Arctic jail, DW, 16 February 2024: Alexei Navalny dies in Russian prison aged 47 — authorities, The Guardian, 16 February 2024: Russian activist and Putin critic Alexei Navalny dies in prison, NBC News, 16 February 2024: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison, France24, 16 February 2024: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died, prison authorities say, CBC News, 16 February 2024: Russia’s Alexei Navalny is dead at 47, The Atlantic, 16 February 2024: Why Russia Killed Navalny, The Guardian, 17 February 2024: ‘He was our hero’: six Russians on the death of Alexei Navalny, Politico.eu, 17 February 2024: Now it’s for real: Navalny is dead, his team confirms, The New York Times, 17 February 2024: Aleksei Navalny’s Allies Confirm His Death, The Washington Post, 17 February 2024: Goodbye to my fearless friend, Alexei Navalny, The Economist, 17 February 2024: Russia’s opposition has lost a crucial leader but gained a martyr, Politico.eu, 17 February 2024: Now it’s for real: Navalny is dead, his team confirms, The New York Times, 17 February 2024: In Death, Navalny Is Even More Dangerous to Putin’s Lies, The Guardian, 17 February 2024: Death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny confirmed by his representatives, The Washington Post, 17 February 2024: Putin, riding high before Navalny’s death, seems unstoppable, Financial Times, 17 February 2024: Russians risk arrest to mourn Alexei Navalny with vigils and flowers, Politico.eu, 18 February 2024: Germany should respond to Navalny death by sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, says top lawmaker, The Guardian, 19 February 2024: Live: Navalny’s mother denied access to body, spokesperson says; Belgium minister calls for EU to build army, Kyiv Independent, 19 February 2024: Navalny’s widow vows to continue his work, blames Putin for his death, Politico.eu, 20 February 2024: X reinstates Navalny’s widow after ‘mistakenly’ suspending account, BBC, 20 February 2024: X briefly suspends account of Alexei Navalny’s widow, BBC, 22 February 2024: Alexei Navalny: Putin critic’s mother says she has been shown his body, The Economist, 22 February 2024: Alexei Navalny didn’t just defy Putin—he showed up his depravity, DW, 22 February 2024: Navalny’s mother says she’s seen son’s body, BBC, 24 February 2024: Navalny’s body returned to mother, spokeswoman says, Politico.eu, 28 February 2024: Navalny’s widow fears ‘bloody mobster’ Putin will carry out purge at funeral, Kyiv Independent, 28 February 2024: Navalny’s funeral to be held in Moscow on March 1, Reuters, 29 February 2024: Church hosting Navalny’s funeral is steeped in the war he opposed, DW, 1 March 2024: Navalny funeral: Hundreds gather in Moscow for ceremony, CNN, 1 March 2024: The funeral for Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, DW, 1 March 2024: At Navalny funeral, supporters chant, ‘Russia will be free’, BBC, 1 March 2024: Mourners shout in defiance at funeral for Alexei Navalny, DW, 1 March 2024: Navalny buried at Moscow cemetery after prison death, The New York Times, 1 March 2024: Thousands Turn Out for Navalny’s Funeral in Moscow, DW, 1 March 2024: Who is Yulia Navalnaya?, NBC News, 1 March 2024: Alexei Navalny funeral: Russian opposition leader buried after crowds cheer at Moscow church, Politico.eu, 1 March 2024: Alexei Navalny’s funeral: Massive crowds gather as Putin’s arch-rival is buried, The Guardian, 1 March 2024: Funeral of Alexei Navalny in Moscow – in pictures, The Washington Post, 1 March 2024: Russian opposition leader buried as police keep public at arm’s length, Time Magazine, 1 March 2024: Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Is Laid to Rest, NPR, 1 March 2024: Navalny’s funeral draws police presence; over 100 in Gaza killed while seeking aid, Financial Times, 1 March 2024: Thousands defy Kremlin to show up at Alexei Navalny’s funeral, France24, 1 March 2024: Navalny laid to rest at Moscow cemetery after thousands gather for funeral, CBS, 1 March 2024: Alexey Navalny’s funeral in Russia draws crowds to Moscow church despite tight security, BBC, 1 March 2024: Navalny buried in Moscow as crowds chant anti-Putin slogans, New York Magazine, 1 March 2024: Alexei Navalny Was Buried to the Terminator 2 Theme Song, The National, 2 March 2024: Russians gather to lay Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to rest, El Pais, 2 March 2024: Navalny’s mother brings flowers to his grave a day after thousands attended his funeral in Moscow, Le Monde, 2 March 2024: Standing firm after Navalny’s funeral as the Kremlin’s stance hardens, CNN, 2 March 2024: Navalny will be back, but only after Putin’s rule is over, Reuters, 2 March 2024: Russians lay flowers at Navalny’s grave, hail him as symbol of hope, PBS, 2 March 2024: Navalny’s mother brings flowers to his grave a day after his public funeral in Moscow, France24, 3 March 2024: Hundreds of Navalny supporters pay tribute at his grave, CNN, 3 March 2024: Hundreds queue in Moscow to visit grave of Putin critic Navalny, BBC, 3 March 2024: Steve Rosenberg: What Navalny’s funeral tells us about Russia today and Wikipedia Alexei Navalny (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.

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