Navalny’s friends knew he was willing to become a martyr if that’s what it took to stand up to Putin.
Alexei Navalny’s long struggle against President Putin began with a humorous blog and culminated in repeated demonstrations of his willingness to risk his own life. According to the Russian authorities on Friday, he has now died in prison.
Russia’s leading opposition voice has been silenced.
Other dissident figures went into exile or died in mysterious circumstances over the past decade, leaving Navalny as the last national figure with a dedicated following.
Though he had been arrested many times before, Navalny’s defining moment in the eyes of many Russians came after the attempt to assassinate him with Novichok. He recuperated in the sanctuary of a German hospital but chose to defy Putin and return to Russia in January 2021, knowing full well he would end up in prison.
I always questioned why he went back to Russia. I thought he could have done so much more outside of a Russian prison. Intentionally in the middle of nowhere, cut off from his supporters and fellow Russians
But he loved his country and held steadfast in his principles. He is a greater man than many. Could you trust yourself on how you would act when tested the way he was.
There have been examples of the past where martyrs did change the direction of history. Maybe he hoped it would be similar and I guess we are at the find out stage.
Even Lenin stayed out of Russia when the government set it sights on him and waited for a more oportune time to come back. Here’s to hoping Martyrdom will change things, but Russians are very very used to things getting worse and just taking it on the chin.
Happy endings are banned in Slavic history
Fucking hell, when you put it that way…
Yesterday it was Alexei standing up to tyranny. Tomorrow, maybe some else. If we’re lucky, more and more.
Absolutely. I trust that I would run away like a little bitch. Dude had balls of steel and I truly hope he managed to show the Russian population what a tyrant putin is.
He did. And I recoomend you to watch it. Dude investigated his own poisoning.
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Absolutely, most people that think they’d take the high road and do the right thing in this situation are not being honest with themselves. As much as I’d love to believe that I would sacrifice everything to fight tiranny, I just know that when the time comes I would choose the easy way out and espace somwhere for a better life.
He seems like a true patriot in a land of nationalists
He was, himself, a nationalist. Or at least he was in the distant past. He seemed to have distanced himself from that.
Still, he lived by his principles. He wasn’t a robber or a hypocrite. He genuinely cared about Russia. He loved his nation. I cannot say the same for the party of crooks and thieves.
I thought the same, couldn’t figure out why he returned to Russia when he could do more when he was free. Still, his courage is admirable, I wouldn’t have been able to steel my nerves to do what’s right in the face of these dangers.
Going back to be locked up, abused, and die isn’t exactly “right”.
What’s better is to live another day to continue fighting.
I meant in general when opposing powerful bad people, like had he stayed in Germany and continued fighting. I wouldn’t have been able to steel myself to become someone who is a direct enemy of someone who clearly has the power and intent to assassinate his opponents.
I mean I doubt he would have been safe even if he didn’t go back. Maybe a little bit, but how long before he gets polonium tea, or nerve agented?
They already had tried to get him with Novichock and just barely didn’t kill him. I’m sure they’d have tried again.