Alexei Navalny: Putin’s fiercest critic

Who is Alexei Navalny?

Alexei Navalny also known as “the man Putin fears most” is a Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist. He first came to international prominence in 2008 when he exposed Kremlin corruption and malfeasance on his blog. As of today, he has amassed over 6 million followers on YouTube and more than two million on Twitter, channels through which he publishes material about corruption and organizes political demonstrations. His consistent message is that Putin’s party are “crooks and thieves” and that the patronage system is no different than tsarist Russia. But despite his courage and commitment to the people of Russia Navalny is no saint. In recent years, he has twice been convicted on criminal charges first for embezzlement and then fraud, both of which have been disputed and deemed “politically motivated” by the European Court of Human Rights.

The Novichok poisoning

Last year, in an attempt to silence Navalny, Kremlin operatives poisoned him with a highly toxic nerve agent called Novichok that was planted in his underwear; an allegation that the Kremlin profusely denies. Navalny fell into a coma and was rushed to a German hospital where he recovered fully. But Navalny’s attack against Putin has now turned intensively personal. "His main gripe with me is that he'll go down in history as a poisoner," Navalny told the court scornfully. "We had Alexander the Liberator, Yaroslav the Wise, and we will have Vladimir the Underpants Poisoner.”

Why is he in jail now?

After completing his rehabilitation, Navalny returned to Russia where he was instantly detained as he had failed to report to Russia's Federal Prison Service (FSIN) twice a month during his illness violating the terms of parole for his 2014 fraud conviction. Many argue that his decision to return to Russia was irrational since it came at the expense of personal safety, however, expert analysts claim that it would have been impossible to remain relevant as an opposition leader outside of Russia. Even in jail, Putin has not been able to keep the 44-year-old dissident quiet. Recently, he had made the headlines by releasing a video of Putin’s luxurious palace which has over 100 million views. Following his arrest and the release of this documentary, mass protests were held across the country. Putin is now on the defensive, under pressure from Navalny’s supporters at home and the international community who are demanding his immediate release. “Putin was an untouchable, a god above everything else. But that’s no longer the case,” claims Maria Snegovaya, an expert on Russian politics at George Washington University. What happens from now on is a matter of international concern and there is no good choice for the Kremlin: imprisoning Navalny will make him a martyr and freeing him will threaten the parliamentary election.

Works cited:

Courtney, William, et al. “Alexei Navalny Has Become a Profile in Courage. This Puts the Kremlin in a Quandary.” Rand.org, 2019, www.rand.org/blog/2021/02/alexei-navalny-has-become-a-profile-in-courage-this.html.

Courtney, William, et al. “Alexei Navalny Has Become a Profile in Courage. This Puts the Kremlin in a Quandary.” Rand.org, 2019, www.rand.org/blog/2021/02/alexei-navalny-has-become-a-profile-in-courage-this.html.

‌ “Alexei Navalny | World News | the Guardian.” The Guardian, The Guardian, May 2021, www.theguardian.com/world/alexei-navalny.

‌ Running Dog. “Putin’s Palace by Alexei Navalny Fan DUBBED to ENGLISH | FULL MOVIE DOCUMENTARY.” YouTube, 6 Feb. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua1UFU9Z3LY.

‌By Audrey Haegelsteen Year 12

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