Navalny

After the death of Russian opposition leader and political prisoner Alexei Navalnymain activist against the regime of the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, a message he left for his people “in case he was assassinated” has gone viral on networks.

The opponent had serious reasons to consider this possibility, after having escaped at least two attacks by the Russian State and due to the way in which he was being treated in prison since his arrest at the beginning of 2021.

Therefore, in the documentary Navalnyperformed by CNN In co-production with HBO Max, the activist and political prisoner spoke openly about what he wanted the people of Russia to hear in the event that he was finally exterminated by the Putin regime.

“Listen, I have a very important thing to say: you can’t give up. If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong,” he expressed.

The truth is that, even from prison, Navalny was characterized by continuing to give strong speeches, sometimes loaded with irony, but always in a tone defiant of the dictatorship.

In that sense, he always stressed that the reason he was imprisoned was because Putin “feared him,” and he sought to remind the population that citizens far outnumber the repressive forces of the State.

“We need to use that power to not give up, to remember that we are a great power that is being oppressed by these bad guys. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. So, don’t be indifferent,” concluded the opponent.

The documentary, available on the HBO streaming service, recounts the verbal and physical attacks and arrests against the opponent, as well as his poisoning orchestrated by the Russian regime in 2020. The inspiring message of struggle is the closing of the tape that Navalny chose for the same.

Last months of Navalny’s life in prison

At the time of his death, Navalny was detained in the IK-3 prison, intended for Russia’s most dangerous criminals. This penitentiary center is located in an area of ​​the Arctic Circle, and is considered the most isolated in the country.

Since his arrest and until his death, the opponent reported mistreatment in prison, where he was beaten, subjected to sleep deprivation, and made to watch propaganda for more than 8 hours with no option to do anything else during.

The opponent had been concerned about his low weight, and about two disc injuries that had caused him severe back pain and numbness in his extremities that was gradually increasing.

All of the above has led Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s wife, to make a strong public statement during the Munich Security Conference, where she directly blamed Vladimir Putin for her husband’s death.

Two days after the death, the death of the opponent has sparked protests, especially in the country’s capital, Moscow, which have resulted in the arrest of more than 400 people.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, 47, died suddenly this Friday, February 16, in a maximum security prison located in the Arctic Circle.

The news was confirmed by the prison service of the Yamalo-Nenets region, through an official statement, in which it was reported that the political prisoner was taking a “walk” inside penitentiary center No.3 when the death occurred.

“The necessary resuscitation procedures were performed, which did not give any results. Emergency doctors confirmed the death of the condemned man. The causes of death are being established,” the statement said.

Navalny had been transferred to this prison to serve a 19-year prison sentence for the crime of “extremism.” The IK-3 penal colony, nicknamed “Polar Wolf”, is intended for the most dangerous criminals, and is considered one of the most distant prisons from civilization in all of Russia.

For its part, the Kremlin declared it had no information about the circumstances of the death. The spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, said that prison doctors will issue a report on the death, and that President Vladimir Putin is already aware of the fact.

Navalny, known for being the main opponent of the current president of Russia and for his fight against corruption in the European nation, had already survived a poisoning in August 2020, attributed to Russian intelligence.

#16Feb #Protests

🇷🇺🇬🇪 Pro-Western Russians demonstrate in Tblis, #Georgia for the death of Alexei Navalny.

“It is not death, it is murder”; the protesters shout. pic.twitter.com/HPZ7eKszce

— Angel Cordero (@GuarimberoDigit) February 16, 2024

Even from prison, where he had been placed since the beginning of 2021, he continued with his activist work, and on December 7, he asked to vote against Putin in the presidential elections scheduled for March 17.

However, a week ago, the Russian Electoral Commission rejected the candidacy of Boris Nadezhdin, the president’s main opponent in this electoral process.

The death of the opposition leader led Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s wife, to make a strong public statement during the Munich Security Conference, where she blamed Putin for her husband’s death.

“We cannot believe Putin and his government, who are constantly lying. They will be brought to justice and punished for what they have done. That day will come soon,” Navalnaya said.

Navalny’s death caused a wave of protests in Russia, especially in the capital, Moscow, which were quickly quelled by Russian security forces, with at least 340 detained since Friday afternoon.

Another 15 people were arrested for leaving flowers at a monument in memory of Alexei Navalny.

At least 200 people have been arrested since the protests began yesterday
pic.twitter.com/wNUkgnXZ2Y

— Javi🇨🇺 (@JaviXCubaLibre2) February 17, 2024