By Armita Rohani
Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny was a Russian opposition leader famous for his anti-government demonstrations and direct opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and was recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, and was awarded the Sakharov Prize regarding his activism on human rights. Of both Russian and Ukrainian descent, Navalny described Russia’s ruling party as a “party of crooks and thieves” back in 2011. He and the FBK have published reports and investigations detailing the corruptive efforts of Russian officials and their associates.
Although recent news of his death has been rampant, there were several previous threats regarding his safety as well. In August 2020 – while on a trip to South Siberia – Alexei was poisoned by a prohibited military-grade Novichok nerve-agent, and was transported to Germany for treatment. The Kremlin denied their involvement with the poisoning, however, their claims have been seen as implausible – Putin even refuses to say Navalny’s name in public.
After his recovery, Navalny returned to Russia on January 17, 2021, where he was immediately arrested and sentenced to 2.5 years for “violating the terms of a suspended sentence” (he failed to report to his probation officer while being in a coma in the German hospital). President Biden remarked on his arrest, stating, “He returned to Russia knowing he’d likely be imprisoned or even killed if he continued his work. But he did it anyway, because he believed so deeply in his country — in Russia.”
Alexei Navalny died on February 16, 2024 while serving a total of 19 years for extremism charges (most probably due to political motivation) in one of Russia’s penal colonies. The Russian government said in a statement that “[Navalny] almost immediately lost consciousness…The emergency doctors declared the prisoner dead. Cause of death is being established.” He was last seen one day before his death, looking well and laughing during a court hearing via video link – even saying jokes to reporters. Just hours after his death, Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, took to the stage at the Munich Security conference on the verge of tears, threatening the Kremlin. “I know Putin, all his allies, all his friends, all his government know they will be held responsible for what they’ve done, and this day will come sooner than you think.”
Nine days after his death, Navalny’s body was transferred to his mother, Kira Yarmysh. In a post on X, she responded to public concern saying, “The funeral is still pending. We do not know if the authorities will interfere [with it being carried] out as the family wants and as Alexei deserves,” while thanking “all those who had demanded” the return of his body. Yarmysh further revealed that the authorities were currently blackmailing and threatening her into agreeing to hold a secret, private funeral for her son. In response, Navalnaya stated in a video published on her social media, “You tortured him alive, and now you keep torturing him dead. You mock the remains of the dead. No true Christian could ever do what Putin is now doing with the body of Alexei. What will you do with his corpse? How low will you sink to mock the man you murdered?” International outrage continues to grow. Many foreign countries – including the United States – have imposed serious sanctions upon Russia as a response to Navalny’s death. President Biden informed the media that the sanctions would further restrict Russia’s energy revenues and its sanction evasion efforts across multiple continents; the administration will further be imposing sanctions on three Russian officials who were connected to Navalny’s death.
