Three years and a month ago, Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, bravely declared, “I’m not afraid,” to journalists who were with him on his flight from Berlin to Moscow. Navalny was returning to Russia after spending five months in Germany, recovering from an attempted assassination involving the use of the deadly Novichok nerve agent. He was fully aware that upon his return, he would be arrested and potentially never experience freedom again. As anticipated, Navalny was immediately arrested and soon after, a series of prison sentences began to accumulate, all under charges of corruption and extremism. These charges were aimed to keep him confined within the Russian prison system until at least 2031, if not longer.
Navalny was also cognizant of the likelihood that he may not meet a natural end. In addition to the Novichok poisoning in August 2020, he was nearly blinded by a chemical agent attack in 2017. Two years later, he survived another poisoning attempt while in custody. In an interview with CBS News in August 2018, he stated, “I try not to think about it too much,” when asked about the possibility of him being eliminated. “If you start thinking about the risks you have, you can’t do anything.”
Yesterday marked the end for Navalny. The authorities at the penal colony where Navalni was held reported that he “felt unwell after walking and lost consciousness,” and despite best efforts, they were unable to save him. His associates immediately declared that “Putin murdered Navalny” and expressed skepticism regarding the official account of his death. Western commentators also pointed the finger at the Russian president as the one ultimately responsible for eliminating his bitter rival.
Navalny was a vocal critic of Russian activity in Syria, support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, and the extensive invasion of Ukraine, which he saw as Putin’s attempts to distract from internal problems. However, it is important to note that Navalny, a self-avowed Russian nationalist, held controversial views. He made statements against immigrants and even voiced support for Russia retaining control over the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed from Ukraine. These controversial positions led Amnesty International to revoke his “prisoner of conscience” status.
What made Navalny a thorn in Putin’s side was his relentless anti-corruption activism. Through his anti-corruption funds and field work, coupled with his high-profile social media activities, Navalny exposed the corruption within Putin’s inner circle and the Russian elite’s accumulation of wealth at the expense of the Russian people. In addition to imprisoning him, Russian authorities also outlawed Navalny’s organizations and persecuted his associates, many of whom were forced to flee the country.
After meeting with Putin in June 2021, US President Joe Biden warned of “severe consequences” if Navalny died in prison. However, Russia has been under stringent sanctions for two years due to the war in Ukraine, and yesterday Biden acknowledged that there were limited options left to penalize Moscow.
Meanwhile, Putin can celebrate a victory. A month before he is expected to secure another term in the presidential “elections,” his most vocal critic has been permanently silenced. This follows a pattern of silencing critics throughout Putin’s rule, including journalist Anna Politikovskaya in 2006, Boris Nemtsov in 2015, and Yevgeny Prizhozin in 2020.
This victory is further compounded by the actions of Donald Trump’s loyalists in the House of Representatives, who are blocking critical security aid to Ukraine. Additionally, Putin is receiving military aid from Iran and North Korea in Ukraine, despite the sanctions. The increased activity of the Russian defense industry signals a strong start to 2024 for Putin, who hopes to maintain this momentum until the November elections and beyond.
