Alexei Navalny: Russian Dissident Exposing Kremlin Scandals, Unjustly Imprisoned by Putin

In a strategic move to ensure the continued incarceration of President Putin’s political rival, Alexei Navalny, Moscow has issued an additional 19-year prison sentence on charges of “extremism.”

In a closed-door session on August 4, 2023, a Russian court handed down this extended prison term to Navalny, a prominent critic of Putin, adding to his previous nine-year sentence. The 47-year-old activist’s case has drawn global attention.

Kira Yarmysh, the court’s spokesperson, shared the decision on X, the former Twitter platform, revealing that Navalny’s sentence involves imprisonment in a highly secure detention center.

This severe ruling has sparked international outrage, with Western nations and the United States condemning it.

Germany decried the judgment as a “flagrant injustice,” while France characterized it as “judicial persecution.” The European Union labeled the decision “unacceptable.”

Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed deep concern, stating that this new sentence raises worries about using the judicial system for political purposes in Russia.

Navalny has been serving his prison term since January 2021, initially facing nine years for fraud. Supporters believe his opposition to the Kremlin has led to what they view as a politically motivated case.

Moreover, Navalny has alleged that he is also targeted in a “terrorism” case, which could result in a life sentence.

 

Background and Education

Alexei Anatolievich Navalny is a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption activist, born in 1976 in a village called Obninsk, situated about 100 kilometers (62 mi) southwest of Moscow.

His family has Ukrainian roots, and many of his relatives live in Pereiaslav, Kyiv Oblast. Navalny himself identifies partly with his Ukrainian heritage.

After graduating from Kalininets secondary school, in Moscow Oblast, in 1993, Navalny enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the Russian State Social University, graduating in 1998.

In 1999, he joined the Financial Academy under the Russian government, specializing in Securities and Stock Exchange Business, and graduated in 2001. He later worked as a financial expert.

In 2007, Navalny was expelled from the opposition liberal party Yabloko, which he had joined in 2000, due to his involvement in nationalist activities.

Alexei Navalny is married to Yulia Navalnaya, and they have a daughter named Daria, who is a student at Stanford University in the United States, and a son named Zakhar.

Navalny owns a stake in a limited liability family company, a textile factory in Moscow. He holds 25% of the declared capital, while the rest is owned by relatives.

Gaining widespread recognition since 2009, Navalny is a lawyer, political activist, and financial expert, notably known in Russia for his vocal stance against corruption. In 2011, he established an organization dedicated to combating fraud.

Navalny serves as a member of the Russian opposition coordination council and is the unofficial leader of the Popular Alliance party. The party has encountered multiple challenges regarding its legitimacy and has not yet been formally registered.

Leveraging his blog on LiveJournal, Navalny organized large-scale anti-government protests and authored articles for various Russian publications, including Forbes Russia.

 

Political Ascent

Navalny rose to prominence alongside his revealing blog posts that exposed what he termed widespread corruption within Russia. He believes the country is ruled by “swindlers and thieves.”

Navalny and his team mocked Putin, producing videos that garnered millions of views on YouTube, exposing the lavish lifestyles of the Russian elite.

He had long foreseen Russia facing seismic political upheaval, potentially including a revolution, as he argued that Putin constructed a fragile system of personal rule built on flattery and corruption.

Navalny’s trial behind closed doors reflects Russia’s repressive approach, particularly within the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, an action he opposed.

During his trial, the opposition figure Navalny condemned Russia’s “stupid and futile war” in Ukraine, as conveyed by his associates on Telegram.

In a video published by the opposition channel TV Rain on February 24, 2022, he stated: “I’m against this war…it will lead to a huge number of victims, destroyed lives, and the future impoverishment of Russian citizens.”

Amidst this, Navalny’s captors exert pressure upon him, a fact affirmed by his lawyer Vadim Kobzev on April 13, 2023. Kobzev stated that his client has been ill for two years and is left “without care,” depicting an “extremely strange” situation.

He pointed out that his medical records indicate he lost eight kilograms in the past two weeks.

Kobzev further revealed that parcels sent by Navalny’s mother containing medications have been “returned to her,” preventing him from receiving them, in what appears to be an attempt to “slowly kill him,” as asserted by his supporters.

 

Russia’s Mandela

Navalny by far stands as the most prominent figure within the divided Russian opposition, with his supporters likening him to a personality akin to the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, foreseeing his eventual release from prison to lead the nation.

The charges directed at Navalny remain unclear, as his defense attorneys were only given ten days to examine the 196 volumes of the case file compiled against him.

In a trial session on June 19, 2023, Navalny attended with his defense attorneys.

However, at the start of the session, the prosecutor requested that the trial be held behind closed doors, citing security reasons and his desire to protect the identity of a key witness.

At that moment, Navalny’s father decried the “shameful” decision to hold a closed-session trial under these circumstances, stating that Antoni Navalny said, “No shame, no conscience, no honor.”

In an attempt to take action against Navalny, the European Union announced on July 20, 2023, the imposition of sanctions on 12 individuals in Russia, including the director of the prison where the dissident is detained.

 

Putin’s Foe

The Russian opposition figure accuses the Kremlin of seeking to keep him imprisoned for life as a consequence of his unrelenting criticisms, even in captivity.

Kira Yarmysh, a spokesperson for Navalny, stated in a comment to Agence France-Presse that the Russian dissident is being tried for his political activity.

Navalny’s supporters assert that he is subjected to particularly harsh treatment in prison, often sent to solitary confinement for the slightest pretext.

In a letter published in early June 2023, Navalny stated that he has been sent to disciplinary cells for the sixteenth time, where prisoners are left alone under severe conditions.

Navalny accuses the prison administration of harassment by placing him with a fellow inmate infected with a contagious virus emitting a foul odor or by forcing inmates to listen to speeches by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On his forty-seventh birthday in early June, Navalny announced that he was maintaining his morale despite the tightened conditions of his confinement.

“I wish I didn’t have to wake up in this hellhole and instead have breakfast with my family, receive kisses on the cheek from my children, unwrap presents…” he said.

“But life works in such a way that social progress and a better future can only be achieved if a certain number of people are willing to pay the price for their right to have beliefs.”

When the Russian private military group Wagner rebelled on June 23, 2023, Navalny’s account commented in a tweet, stating that it shows that Putin’s authority poses a threat to Russia to the extent that its inevitable collapse presents a threat of civil war.

With the help of his team, Navalny continues to regularly post on social media to strongly condemn the conflict in Ukraine.