Russia has recently added Yulia Navalnaïa, widow of the deceased opposition leader Alexeï Navalny, to its list of 'terrorists and extremists.' This move comes just two days after an arrest warrant was issued against her. Her name now appears on a list maintained by Rosfinmonitoring, the Russian financial intelligence service. The Russian judiciary announced on Tuesday that Yulia Navalnaïa, who currently resides abroad, is wanted for 'participation in an extremist group.' A Moscow court has pronounced her placement in pre-trial detention in her absence.
Kira Iarmysh, the ex-spokesperson for Alexeï Navalny, who is also in exile, sarcastically commented on X (formerly Twitter), 'What speed! If they apply to this point, it is because Yulia Navalnaïa is doing everything right.' Yulia has vowed to continue her late husband's fight against Vladimir Putin's regime. Alexeï Navalny, known as Putin's number one enemy, died under suspicious circumstances in an Arctic prison in February 2024.
Yulia Navalnaïa has urged supporters of her late husband not to lose hope and continues to denounce the Russian government and the treatment of dissidents through social media. In 2021, Russian justice classified Navalny's organizations as 'extremist' and banned them, leading to the imprisonment of several of his collaborators.
In recent years, repression in Russia has intensified, leading to the imprisonment or forced exile of nearly all major opposition figures. Thousands of ordinary Russians have also been arrested for protesting or criticizing the military offensive in Ukraine, with many receiving lengthy sentences.
