Logo
    Search

    Alexei Navalny, Putin’s Loudest Critic, Dies in a Russian Prison

    enFebruary 16, 2024

    Podcast Summary

    • Russian Anti-Corruption Activist Alexei Navalny Dies in PrisonRussian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, passed away in prison at age 47. Known for his outspokenness and determination to expose corruption, his death marks a significant loss for those seeking reform in Russia.

      Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, known for his relentless criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, passed away in prison at the age of 47. Navalny, who survived a poisoning attack four years ago, was a vocal figure in Russian politics, known for his outspokenness and determination to expose rampant corruption within the Russian government. His death comes as a shock to many, particularly to the opposition movement, as he was considered one of the last remaining voices challenging Putin's regime. Throughout his career, Navalny accused Putin and the Kremlin of enslaving the Russian people and turning the Russian government into a money-making business for its supporters. He also released videos alleging the president's lavish lifestyle. Navalny's passing marks a significant loss for those seeking reform in Russia.

    • Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny challenged Putin's rule despite Kremlin attempts to suppress himNavalny gained widespread support through anti-corruption campaigns and massive protests, becoming a significant challenge to Putin's rule

      Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posed a significant challenge to Vladimir Putin's rule, despite repeated attempts by the Kremlin to suppress his influence. Navalny gained widespread support during his mayoral campaign in Moscow in 2013, and after being denied the victory, he focused on campaigning against corruption and supporting local opposition politicians. He organized massive anti-corruption protests in 2017, which resulted in his arrest and attacks on his physical safety. Despite these setbacks, Navalny continued to gain legitimacy as a genuine opposition figure, and in 2018, he announced his intention to challenge Putin in the presidential election. The Russian populace saw him as a legitimate alternative to the sanctioned opposition, who were viewed as puppets of the regime. Despite the Kremlin's denials of corruption and support for all Russians, Navalny's influence and persistence made him a significant thorn in Putin's side.

    • Navalny's Determination to Challenge PutinRussian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's unwavering commitment to challenging Vladimir Putin's presidency despite numerous arrests and attacks inspires those seeking change, highlighting the importance of being active and vocal in the face of adversity.

      Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's determination to challenge Vladimir Putin's presidency despite facing numerous arrests and physical attacks speaks volumes about his character and commitment to change. Navalny, who was seen as a legitimate opposition candidate, was prevented from running in the 2018 election due to prior convictions on alleged embezzlement charges, which he denied. Undeterred, he called on his supporters to boycott the election and continued to be vocal about his desire for change. Despite believing himself to be untouchable due to his public profile, Navalny was ultimately not immune to arrest and attacks. This demonstrates the risks and challenges that come with standing up for one's beliefs and challenging the status quo. Regardless, Navalny's actions serve as an inspiration for those seeking change and highlight the importance of being active and vocal in the face of adversity.

    • Russian opposition leader Navalny uses video to rally support despite poisoning attemptNavalny, a Russian opposition leader, survived a poisoning attempt using Novichok and continued to use video to speak out against the Russian regime, demonstrating the power of video in activism and community organizing.

      Navalny, a Russian opposition leader, used video to amplify his message and rally support, even facing a near-fatal poisoning attempt. In the summer of 2020, while traveling and organizing opposition groups, Navalny fell ill on a flight, and video footage showed him in distress. His supporters, including his wife, worked to evacuate him for treatment in Germany. German scientists determined he was poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent, and Navalny accused the Kremlin and Putin of involvement. Despite the danger, Navalny continued to use video to speak out against the Russian regime, highlighting the power of video in activism and community organizing.

    • Alexei Navalny's unwavering commitment to challenging Russia's corrupt regimeDespite facing sanctions, imprisonment, and even death threats, opposition leader Alexei Navalny continued to boldly speak out against the Russian government and inspire change within the country.

      Despite facing sanctions, imprisonment, and even a suspicious disappearance, opposition leader Alexei Navalny continued to boldly speak out against the Russian government from within the country. His determination to make a difference and galvanize support, even while in prison, inspired his followers and showcased his unwavering commitment to challenging the corrupt regime. Tragically, he ultimately disappeared and later died in custody, leaving many unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding his death. Despite the lack of clear information, Navalny's legacy continues to inspire those who seek change in Russia.

    • Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death sparks outrage and reflection on Russian society and politicsNavalny's death has sparked outrage, concerns over repression, and calls for accountability, with potential significant ramifications for Russia's standing

      The death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has sparked outrage both within and outside of Russia, despite the Kremlin's attempts to suppress information about his condition and criticism of Vladimir Putin. Navalny's supporters and critics alike are reflecting on the implications of his death for Russian society and politics, with many expressing concern over the extreme level of repression in Russia and the chilling effect it has on free speech. Putin has been accused of being responsible for Navalny's death, and calls for accountability are growing louder. This event is expected to have significant ramifications for Russia's domestic and international standing.

    • Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny's Imprisonment and Suspected DeathPutin's grip on power in Russia remains strong as shown by Navalny's imprisonment and suspected death, highlighting the regime's use of repression to maintain control.

      Key takeaway from today's discussion is that Vladimir Putin's grip on power in Russia remains strong and unchallenged, as shown by the imprisonment and suspected death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The regime's use of repression as a tool for maintaining control highlights Putin's position as the last man standing in Russian politics. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Navalny's death, the Russian authorities' role in his imprisonment underscores the power dynamic at play. This demonstrates the strength of Putin and his regime, and serves as a reminder that opposition voices continue to face significant obstacles in Russia.

    Recent Episodes from The Journal.

    Will the U.K. Send Asylum Seekers To Rwanda?

    Will the U.K. Send Asylum Seekers To Rwanda?
    After a steep increase in migration, the United Kingdom turned to a controversial plan: sending migrants to Rwanda. But the plan has faced years of delays and legal challenges. Max Colchester explains why the U.K. pushed ahead, and what Rwanda stands to gain.  Further Reading: - Britain’s Radical Plan to Tackle the Migrant Crisis Turns Into a Cautionary Tale  Further Listening: - Smuggling Migrants Toward the U.S. Is a Booming Business  - Texas Took On Border Security. Is It Working?  - What the End of Title 42 Means for U.S. Immigration Policy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJuly 02, 2024

    Trump Has Broad Immunity

    Trump Has Broad Immunity
    The Supreme Court dealt a major blow to prosecutors hoping to convict Donald Trump on charges he sought to subvert the 2020 election. The court ruled 6-3 that former presidents enjoy sweeping immunity for their acts while in office. WSJ's Jess Bravin discusses what this ruling could mean for the future of American democracy.  Further Reading: -Supreme Court Deals Blow to Trump’s Prosecution, Ruling He Has Broad Immunity  Further Listening: -Will the Supreme Court Kick Trump off the Ballot?  -The Origin Story of Trump's Guilty Verdict  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJuly 01, 2024

    Farm-to-Table Pioneer on Why We Still Need Better Food

    Farm-to-Table Pioneer on Why We Still Need Better Food
    Alice Waters helped the farm-to-table movement go mainstream in the U.S. through her restaurant Chez Panisse. In the decades since she has kept advocating for locally grown, organic food over the fast food Americans regularly consume. Kate Linebaugh sat down with Waters at The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum. To watch a video of the conversation, check out the episode on Spotify. Further Listening: – Could Paris Hilton Create the 'Next Disney?' – Live from Seattle: A Weird Economy + Election Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJune 28, 2024

    All Eyes on Biden, Trump – and CNN

    All Eyes on Biden, Trump – and CNN
    Tonight, two presidents, one current and one former, are set to debate live on CNN. The stakes are high for the candidates and for the network that’s been struggling to win viewers. WSJ’s Isabella Simonetti reports on how CNN is remaking the debate, and Annie Linskey analyzes what the format change could mean for the candidates. Further Reading: - Presidential Debate Carries Great Opportunity—and Risk—for CNN  - Biden-Trump Debate Takes Shape  - We Rewatched the 2020 Trump-Biden Debates. Here’s What We Learned.  Further Listening: - The Downfall of CNN’s CEO  - Behind Closed Doors, Biden’s Age is Showing  - The Origin Story of Trump’s Guilty Verdict  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJune 27, 2024

    How Ukraine Built a Weapon to Control the Black Sea

    How Ukraine Built a Weapon to Control the Black Sea
    Ukraine has sunk or damaged about two dozen Russian ships using a technical innovation: naval drones. WSJ’s James Marson unspools the story of the drones’ development and explores how they’re turning the tide in a key area of the war. Further Reading: - How Ukraine’s Naval Drones Turned the Tide in the Battle of the Black Sea  Further Listening: - Ukraine Makes a Deal with Wall Street  - Ukraine's $30 Billion Problem  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJune 26, 2024

    The Unusual Economics of the Bilt Credit Card

    The Unusual Economics of the Bilt Credit Card
    Rent has long been an expense people wanted to pay on credit cards. In 2022, Wells Fargo launched a credit card with Bilt Technologies that allowed users to pay for rent, avoid processing fees and earn points. But the partnership is costing Wells Fargo millions. WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis reports. Further Listening: -The Fight Over Your Credit Card Swipe  -The Deal That Could Change Credit Cards  Further Reading: -Wells Fargo Bet on a Flashy Rent Credit Card. It Is Costing the Bank Dearly.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJune 25, 2024

    Southwest Changed Flying. Can It Change Itself?

    Southwest Changed Flying. Can It Change Itself?
    An activist investor says Southwest Airlines is stuck in the past. Elliott Investment Management says it has amassed a $1.9 billion stake, making it one of Southwest’s biggest shareholders and one of its most vocal critics. WSJ’s Alison Sider explains what Elliott wants, and why critics say some of the things that made Southwest great are now holding it back.  Further Reading: - Southwest Changed Flying. Now It Can’t Change Fast Enough  - Meet the Southwest Superfans Who Don’t Want the Airline to Change  Further Listening: - Ryanair: Cheap, Cramped and Making Its CEO a Fortune  - The Love Triangle Over Spirit Airlines  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJune 24, 2024

    Zyn pouches, ‘Zynfluencers’ and ‘the Zyndemic’

    Zyn pouches, ‘Zynfluencers’ and ‘the Zyndemic’
    For about a decade, Zyn, a brand of nicotine pouch, was a niche product used by former smokers. But now it’s exploded in popularity and is hard to find on store shelves. WSJ’s Jennifer Maloney explains how Zyn achieved social media virality and has found itself in the middle of a culture war. Further Reading: - Zyn Nicotine Pouches Take Off—and Land in the Culture Wars  - Why America Is Running Low on Zyn Nicotine Pouches  Further Listening: - The Juul Paradox  - The ‘Existential Threat’ Facing Big Tobacco  - How Puff Bar Became the Most Popular Vape for Kids  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJune 21, 2024

    Sam Altman's Opaque Investment Empire

    Sam Altman's Opaque Investment Empire
    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has a day job and a side gig. Only one of them makes him rich. WSJ's Berber Jin explains how Altman makes most of his wealth through investing in tech startups and how some of those startups' business relationships with OpenAI raise questions about conflicts of interest. Further Reading: - The Opaque Investment Empire Making OpenAI’s Sam Altman Rich  Further Listening:  - Artificial: The OpenAI Story  - Tesla's Multibillion-Dollar Pay Package for Elon Musk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJune 20, 2024

    How ‘Conflict Gum’ Is Helping Fuel Sudan’s Civil War

    How ‘Conflict Gum’ Is Helping Fuel Sudan’s Civil War
    Gum arabic is a widely used but little-known ingredient found in products like soda, gum, makeup and beer. But as WSJ’s Nicholas Bariyo and Alexandra Wexler report, the product has been used for a darker purpose: helping to fund the civil war in Sudan.Further Reading: -How Soda, Chocolate and Chewing Gum Are Funding War in Sudan  -What Is Happening in Sudan? The Fighting Explained  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    The Journal.
    enJune 18, 2024

    Related Episodes

    9. The Underpants Poisoner

    9. The Underpants Poisoner

    John Sweeney has been on Vladimir Putin's case for over twenty years.  He spent nearly three months in Kyiv reporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Currently back in London, this episode John explores the opposition to Putin from within Russia.  He tells the story of those who've given everything - even up to their lives - taking on the Kremlin to fight for democracy.

    Taking On Putin is funded by you - the listener. You can support the podcast on Crowdfunder.

    Follow John on Twitter @johnsweeneyroar

    Putin's murders: The full Stalin - episode 3

    Putin's murders: The full Stalin - episode 3

    Shortly before Vladimir Putin was reelected for a fifth term as Russia’s president he eliminated his last possible rival for power, Alexei Navalny, who was imprisoned in an Arctic labour camp. The deaths, often in mysterious circumstances, of dozens of Putin's opponents have been a hallmark of his time in office. Tortoise’s Giles Whittell sets out to find out why so many of Putin’s enemies have met an early end.


    To find out more about Tortoise:


    Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists


    Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content


    Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more


    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


    What dies with Alexei Navalny?

    What dies with Alexei Navalny?
    Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, 47, has died in an Arctic prison. The Guardian’s Luke Harding explains the life and death (and afterlife) of Vladimir Putin’s bravest adversary. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Jesse Alejandro Cottrell, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Avishay Artsy and Amanda Lewellyn, engineered by Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    What Navalny’s death means for Putin's Russia

    What Navalny’s death means for Putin's Russia

    Alexei Navalny, Russia's opposition leader, is dead. His wife says that President Putin killed her husband while the Russian state denies any involvement. What does his death mean for the opposition, the Kremlin and the future of Russia?

    This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

    Guest: Mark Galeotti, historian, journalist and author of ‘We Need to Talk About Putin,’ ‘Putin’s Wars’ and ‘A Short History of Russia.’

    Host: Manveen Rana.

    Clips: MEDIAZONE, BBC, SKY, @yulia_navalny / X.

    Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

    Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.