Life of Alexei Navalny
On February 6th, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny allegedly collapsed and passed away in the Arctic prison he was detained in. A pivotal lawyer, politician, and anti-corruption activist, Navalny’s legacy and vision continue to live on in the hearts of his supporters.
During his lifetime, he organized protests against war on Ukraine and was a major critic of Vladimir Putin—verily, the standing president’s greatest political rival. Navalny’s career relied heavily on a staunch social media presence, beginning in 2008 with a blog documenting his stakeholder activism campaign. In it, he confronted various corporations for their secrecy when it came to monetary affairs and contributed to the uncovering of large-scale corruption in government finances.
As the blog gained popularity, so too did Navalny, who later came to launch multiple projects targeting the current government system including RosPil, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, and the Navalny Headquarters (“Aleksey Navalny”).
In response, a 2021 Russian court decreed that the activities of such civil society organizations were rooted in extremist ideologies and effectively outlawed organized political opposition to government authority (“Aleksei Navalny’s NGOs Banned as “Extremist”, Depriving Thousands of Their Rights”).
Due to his key roles in demonstrations and other protests, Navalny found his residence a frequent target of police raids and faced criminal charges on multiple occasions. These indictments cited unsanctioned protest, suspected corruption, and political extremism as grounds for his arrest. Most recently in early 2021, Navalny was sentenced to a total of 30 years in some of the nation’s most notorious penal facilities (“Russian Court Sentences Alexei Navalny to Further 19 Years in Prison”).
Navalny also declared participation in the 2013 Moscow mayoral elections despite heavy restrictions placed on his campaign. The following day, he was faced with yet another criminal sentence, but was promptly released following mass protest in his favor. Nevertheless, major TV channels repeatedly refused to broadcast his campaign, likely for fear of negative association. Navalny ultimately finished second to Sergey Sobyanin, a Putin-backed candidate; regardless, he continued to pursue a political career in Russia.
Navalny fell seriously ill in 2020 due to what was later determined to be novichok, a poison with previous records of fatal use against Putin’s political opponents. After receiving treatment in Berlin, he sought to continue his activism back in Russia, a perilous move that even inspired the filming of its own documentary, Navalny (“‘Navalny,’ About Dissident Fighting Kremlin, Wins Doc Oscar”). Unfortunately, this courage did not bear fruit, as he was arrested upon his return.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, journalist and political prisoner, shared Navalny’s ideology and was poisoned twice in a similar manner, once in 2015 and again in 2017. In spite of the dangers, he provided a motive for both his and Navalny’s return to Russia, reasoning, “I didn't think I had the right to continue my political activity, to call other people to action, if I was sitting safely somewhere else” (“Dissent is Dangerous in Russia, but Activists Refuse to Give Up”).
The exact circumstances of Navalny’s death continue to remain a subject of great scrutiny in these times of political unrest. People gathered in mourning were often violently scattered by law enforcement officers and, on some occasions, even detained for their grief (“Tributes and Arrests as Russians Mark Opposition Leader's Death”). Considering a lifetime of opposition to a government notoriously reliant on censorship, news of Navalny’s recent death came as no surprise to some.
But to just as many, his death served as a powerful call to action.
Yulia Navalnaya, widow and greatest supporter of the late activist, previously prioritized her role as a mother over her place on the political field. Now an activist in her own right, her passion for her country takes center stage. She boldly declared Putin guilty for her husband’s death and implored the people of Russia to take a stand.
“In killing Alexei, Putin killed half of me, half of my heart, and half of my soul,” Navalnaya said in a social media post following the incident. “But I have another half left—and it is telling me I have no right to give up” (“Wife, Protector and Now Political Heir: Yulia Navalnaya Rallies Russians”).
Navalny’s leadership, resilience, and unwavering will has left profound impacts on the future of his nation and its people. In spite of the tragedy, the oppression, and all else that has come to pass, his supporters, as well as the Russian population in its entirety, have not backed down—and perhaps, until the future they hope for becomes reality, they never will.
by CHLOE WANG