A few months ago, I read a compelling memoir in The New Yorker about Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader and anticorruption activist who was poisoned and later jailed upon his return to Russia on January 17, 2021.
Navalny’s Prison Diaries chronicles his final years in captivity, offering a deeply personal and political reflection on his fight against Vladimir Putin’s regime. He recounts his near-fatal poisoning in 2020, his decision to return despite the certainty of arrest, and the fabricated charges that led to his imprisonment. Despite brutal conditions—solitary confinement, staged trials, and psychological torture—he remains defiant, seeing prison as the cost of his commitment to truth and democracy. His writings capture the mental toll of confinement, his resilience, and his belief that Russia will one day reclaim its freedom.
More than just a memoir, Navalny’s diaries serve as a call to action. He warns against complacency, stressing that authoritarian regimes don’t collapse on their own and that truth is the most powerful weapon against tyranny. Aware he may never be freed, he urges continued resistance, reaffirming his love for his family and country.
Tragically, he died in prison on February 16, 2024, but his words endure as a testament to his courage and unwavering fight for justice.
Source:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/10/21/alexei-navalny-patriot-memoir
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