Yuliya Navalnaya, widow of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and Western leaders decried repression in Russia on Feb. 16, the anniversary of Navalny's death.
Navalny, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on politically motivated charges in January 2021. He was convicted and later died in an Arctic penal colony in February 2024.
Western countries, including Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement on the anniversary of Navalny's death.
"We reiterate that the ultimate responsibility for his death lies with the Russian authorities. One year on, Russia's dire human rights record continues to deteriorate ... All to serve its own interests," the statement read.
The statement condemned Russia for holding over 800 political prisoners who are tortured and forced into psychiatric detention.
"The Kremlin crushes peaceful dissent, maintains a climate of fear, and undermines the rule of law," it said.
The countries also claimed that Russia uses the threat of imprisonment to quash opposition to the full-scale war against Ukraine.
"Many (are) imprisoned for speaking out against the Kremlin's illegal invasion of Ukraine and the brutality shown towards the Ukrainian people," the statement said.
The anniversary of Navalny's death falls during the Munich Security Conference, where European and U.S. officials convened to discuss the status of the war as it approaches its third year.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas issued her own statement regarding Navalny on Feb. 16.
"Navalny gave his life for a free and democratic Russia. Today, his lawyers are unjustly imprisoned along with hundreds of political prisoners," she said.
"Russia is increasingly waging an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine while continuing its domestic repression, persecuting those who advocate for democracy ... The EU calls on Russia to stop its brutal repression of civil society, media, and opposition figures."
Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, also posted a video commemorating her late husband one year after his death.
"To whom he opened their eyes to the truth of Putin's regime, it is important to continue supporting (Navalny)," she said.
Since her husband's death, Navalnaya has emerged as a key Russian opposition figure. She spoke at the Munich Security Conference at a panel alongside Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, warning against attempts to negotiate with Putin.
"Even if you decided to negotiate with Putin, just remember he will lie," she said on Feb. 14.
A vocal opponent of Putin, Navalnaya has expressed ambivalence toward arming Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion.
Abbey Fenbert
(Updated: )
