Two Weeks in the Life of Yulia Navalnaya
[guest post by Dana]
Alexie Navalny’s widow, Yulia, warned the European Parliament that Vladimir Putin is capable of anything and offered insight into how the West can confront and defeat the monster:
If you really want to defeat Putin, you have to become an innovator. And you have to stop being boring. You can’t hurt Putin with another resolution or another set of sanctions that is no different from the previous ones. You can’t defeat him by thinking he’s a man of principle who has morals and rules. And Alexei realized that a long time ago. You are not dealing with a politician, but with a bloody monster. Putin is a leader of an organized criminal gang. This includes poisoners and assassins but they’re just puppets. The most important thing is the people close to Putin — his friends, associates and keepers of mafia money.
…
To combat Putin, the same methods used to combat organized crime must be employed, she said.
“No diplomatic notes, but investigations into the financial machinations. Not statements of concern, but a search for mafia associates in your countries, for the discreet lawyers and financiers who are helping Putin and his friends to hide money.”
Meanwhile, knowing the threat that Yulia poses, the Kremlin is working overtime in a disinformation campaign to undermine her as she becomes the face of the opposition. Trying to make her appear disloyal to her husband, doctored videos and claims about affairs and abortions, etc. are being widely circulated on social media:
Lies about Navalnaya having affairs and abortions and not caring about her husband’s death are being shared widely on Telegram channels, Russian state-run media, and social media accounts controlled by groups with close ties to the Kremlin. The campaign, which features fake videos and doctored images, continues to gain momentum as Navalnaya speaks out about Navalny’s death and criticizes Russian president Vladimir Putin…
“The Kremlin is using gendered disinformation campaigns to crush dissent at home and to undermine democracy world over,” Kristina Wilfore, director of innovation and global projects at Reset, tells WIRED. “Rather than stand up to Vladimir Putin, social media platforms continue to provide the means for massive amplification of deeply harmful and defamatory rhetoric that puts women at risk and weaponizes gender.”
In the midst of all of this, Yulia has been planning a funeral for her husband. A big worry is how the authorities will respond to the crowds:
Alexei Navalny’s funeral will be held in Moscow on Friday, his wife Yulia announced, but she said she was unsure if it would pass off peacefully and that plans for a civil memorial service had been blocked.
Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokesperson, posted on X that a service for Navalny would be held on Friday afternoon in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the Moscow district of Maryino where Navalny used to live…It was not immediately clear how the authorities would ensure crowd control.
But judging from previous gatherings of Navalny supporters – whom Russian authorities have designated as U.S.-backed extremists – a heavy police presence is likely and the authorities will break up anything they deem to resemble a political demonstration under protest laws.
Two people are to blame for the fact that we do not have a place for a civil memorial service and farewell to Alexei – Vladimir Putin and Sergei Sobyanin. People in the Kremlin killed him, then they mocked Alexei’s body, then they mocked his mother, and now they mock his memory.
We don’t want any special treatment – just to give people the opportunity to say goodbye to Alexey normally. Just don’t bother me please.
I hope that Yulia continues to be surrounded by a solid team of strong people who are equally committed to the cause. She is on a difficult journey and she’ll need the strength. Surely the journey will only get more difficult as time goes on. She has my deep admiration and respect.
—Dana
