Thomas Rowley: How Alexey Navalny changed Russian politics forever

By Dilip -

Nine days ago, Alexey Navalny returned to Russia – and changed the country’s politics forever. The opposition leader had been in Germany since August 2020, recovering from what is now internationally recognised as an assassination attempt by the Kremlin (which President Vladimir Putin denies). But while there, he was far from idle. In December, he and a team of investigators published an investigation into his likely FSB killers – and then managed to dupe one of them into speaking with Navalny on the phone.

Then on 13 January, the 44-year-old politician announced his return to Russia, arriving four days later, when he was promptly arrested at a Moscow airport. The following day, while Navalny live-streamed his arrest proceedings from a court session held in a police station, his team released another damning YouTube clip. In a two-hour video, which has more than 90 million views, Navalny’s team investigated a secret Black Sea palace, estimated to be worth $1.5bn, which was allegedly gifted to Putin as a bribe from oligarchs. Putin denied owning the palace as Navalny called for mass protests across the country….

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/how-alexey-navalny-changed-russian-politics-forever/

Andrew Roth - The problem is Putin: protesters throng Russia's streets to support jailed Navalny // Russia’s courageous historic protests against Putinism

Navalny’s new video sensation: Putin’s secret palace, and “the biggest bribe in history”.

STANISLAV MARKELOV - Patriotism as a diagnosis

Allies of slain Putin critic Nemtsov allege cover-up after guilty verdict

Russian Justice: Sergei Magnitsky’s Torture and Murder in Pre-Trial Detention

Solidarity with Memorial: Russia’s most prominent civil rights group in danger

Nick Hopkins and Luke Harding - Intelligence sources vouch for credibility of Russia dossier author / Mark Sumner - Trump Was Bailed Out of Bankruptcy by Russia Crime Bosses

The destruction of society EUROZINE REVIEW

British banks handled vast sums of laundered Russian money

Lawyer For Russian Whistleblower’s Family Falls From Building One Day Before Hearing

Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition figure, unconscious in hospital

Simon Tisdall: Putin, a criminal and incompetent president, is an enemy of his own people

Book Review: Inside the Stalin Archives, by Johnathan Brent (2009) // Books from "Annals of Communism Series", Yale University Press

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