Breaking Press Release

Outspoken Critic & 2022 Laureate, Alexei Navalny, Dies in Russian Prison

February 16, 2024

It is with both deep grief and a heightened sense of outrage that the Trustees of the CivilCourage Prize absorb the news of the death of Alexei Navalny, our 2022 laureate. We send our condolences to his wife and children, as well as to his tireless colleagues at the Anti-Corruption Foundation. Alexei Navalny exemplified what the Civil Courage Prize stands for... steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk. Speaking at our ceremony in Navalny's honor that year, Mikhail Baryshnikov expressed this powerfully:

"I am in awe of Navalny’s courage. His efforts to champion a more democratic vision for Russia are selfless and shocking. And insanely brave.

I recently overheard a conversation where one person said, “Navalny should have stayed in Europe, and not return to Russia.” Another person answered, “You don’t understand. He could not not go.” After some thought, I realized that this was true: Alexey could not not go back. He is consumed by the idea that Russia and its people can and will survive yet another brutal authoritarian government. He believes in Russia when nearly nobody else does. And I have no better explanation for this other than to say that he loves Russia and its people more than anything else. It’s a love that demands selfless courage, and I think only a truly extraordinary individual can hold such a love.

Navalny often speaks of what he calls the “beautiful Russia of the future.” His optimism and love inspires us…compels us…to embrace his daring idea that Russians themselves can choose a different path if they are truly given the chance to do so."

This marks the second time one of our laureates has died in Russia, the first being journalist Anna Politkovskaya in 2006. Another, Vladimir Kara-Murza (Civil Courage Prize 2018), is imprisoned today in Russia. Writing for The Washington Post from prison this week, Vladimir Kara-Murza noted that there has been an increasingly palpable feeling among the citizens of Russia that change is actually possible. He said:

"This doesn’t mean that change will happen tomorrow or next month. But a society that feels more empowered and more confident about itself is suddenly a force to be reckoned with. And that is bad news for any dictator."

Even in the face of today's devastating news, the Civil Courage Prize stands in hope with the people of Russia for a better day. Alexei Navalny cannot and will not be forgotten.

For further information about the Civil Courage Prize please visit: civilcourageprize.org.

<<back