The Significance of Alexei Navalny’s Demise for the Campaign Against Putin’s Regime

What Alexei Navalny’s Passing Implies for the Anti-Putin Regime Campaign

Alexei Navalny, renowned for his staunch fight against official corruption and orchestration of massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin’s most formidable opponent, passed away on Friday in the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence, as confirmed by Russia’s prison agency. He was 47.

The shocking news of Navalny’s demise — occurring less than a month before an election that would grant Putin another six years in power — sparked renewed criticism and outrage aimed at the Kremlin leader, known for his harsh crackdown on all forms of opposition within the country. Despite individuals laying flowers at monuments commemorating victims of Soviet-era political repressions in some Russian cities, there was no immediate indication that Navalny’s death, which deals a severe blow to the beleaguered and fractured opposition, would trigger large protests.

We are joined by Daniel Roher, director of the 2022 documentary “Navalny,” and Regina Smyth, professor of political science at Indiana University and author of “Elections, Protest, and Authoritarian Regime Stability: Russia 2008–2020,” for further discussion on the matter.