As Alexei Navalny’s health is said to be deteriorating in jail, our contributor Kamila Koronska has performed a Google trend analysis comparing popularity of the Russian opposition leader with Vladimir Putin.
The arrest of Alexey Navalny upon his return to Russia has triggered widespread protests. For many, they represent the first step towards democratization. This article, though, argues that things are more complicated. The first problem is that Navalny is a much more controversial figure than he seems. In fact, his idea of democracy might be very different from the Western concept of democracy. The second problem is less idiosyncratic and more strategic. Namely, the Russia regime seems willing to lock up Navalny for quite some time. And this alone, could leave protestors without a leader and without purpose.
On January 23rd, protests across Russia demanded Alexei Navalny’s release from detainment, and called out the corruption unveiled in his latest investigation. The demonstrations grew quickly in size and in violence, instantly attracting international attention.
Alexei Navalny, the main opposition leader in Russia against President Putin’s regime has been poisoned with Novichok, a dangerous nerve agent that has been allegedly used several times against Russian opposition figures. How will that affect the relations between the EU and Russia?
