Navalny’s legacy and the future of Russian opposition

Geoff Bennett:

We're going to talk more about this now with Dan Storyev, English managing editor at OVD-Info. That's a human rights organization that aims to end political persecution in Russia. He's also participated in Navalny protests.

Thank you for being with us.

As we saw, thousands of people lined up to pay their respects at the funeral for Alexei Navalny. That's despite a heavy police presence aimed at deterring protests against Vladimir Putin. What should we make of this stunning display of defiance?

Dan Storyev, English Managing Editor, OVD-Info:

Well, thanks for having me.

The important thing to know is that, despite the horrific cost of actually showing up on the streets — you can be beaten, you can be imprisoned for many years — Russians throughout Russia, not just in Moscow and St. Petersburg, they were still willing to show up because they despise the war and they despise what the authoritarian Kremlin regime has done to Alexei Navalny.

And they have been showing up, they have been protesting, some covertly, some overtly for many years. And they continued protesting after the full-scale invasion and after the ramping up of repressions.

Geoff Bennett:

Officials kept Navalny's body for more than a week before ultimately releasing it to his mother. And she accused them of trying to pressure her into agreeing to a secret burial.

Why do you think they caved and ultimately allowed this funeral to take place?

Dan Storyev:

That's absolutely right.

Kremlin's officials wanted to put Navalny's family through a world of hurt. They started doing this for a while now. this didn't start with them murdering Alexei Navalny. They have actually destroyed Navalny's mom's business back years ago through lawfare.

And I think the reason why they caved in was a massive public campaign demanding the release of Navalny's body. In fact, OVD-Info, my organization, we have say that we participated in that public — in a public pressure campaign.

Our platform gathered over 100,000 submissions demanding Navalny's body be released.

Geoff Bennett:

Isn't the Kremlin, though, impervious to outside pressure like that, or at least they're thought to be?

Dan Storyev:

Not exactly.

It's quite clear that the Kremlin still is concerned about public attention within Russia and outside of Russia. And that's why it's important that Western viewers and Western media in general, that you keep your eyes peeled on what's going on in Russia, what's going on in the Kremlin, and what's — especially what's going on with political prisoners, of whom there are over 1,000 throughout Russia right now.

It's important that we keep attention on them.

Geoff Bennett:

Alexei Navalny was buried to the soundtrack of his favorite movie, which was "Terminator 2." What's the significance there?

Dan Storyev:

Well, Navalny, I think he saw his significance, his symbolic significance and the meaning of his campaign in Russia.

He wanted to give hope to ordinary Russians. And I think that "Terminator" theme, more specifically, it's this final shot of Arnold Schwarzenegger going down with the thumbs-up, I think this sums up what Navalny would have wanted, would have wanted for the people of Russia to know, that he's trying to give them hope.

Even beyond the grave, I'm sure that Alexei Navalny would have wanted Russians — the Russians not to despair, but to remain hopeful, because Navalny believed in a Russia that is not just free, but in a Russia that is happy and beautiful. And that is impossible to achieve without hope for change.

Geoff Bennett:

With Navalny's sudden death, the Russian opposition has lost its leading figure. What does it do now?

Dan Storyev:

Well, the thing about Russian opposition is that it doesn't concentrate just on Navalny's figure.

Of course, Navalny is an — a larger-than-life symbol. So are many other symbols and figures of the Russian opposition and Russian civil society. But what's important is we keep our eyes on the grassroots element of Russian civil society and the grassroots element of Russian opposition.

It's quite clear that Russian opposition, Russian civil society, they are not mourning. They are organizing. They are taking all the power they have and they are trying to carry on Navalny's banner.

So, the important thing right now is to support them. Especially for those of you in the West who are wondering, how can I help Russian civil society and Russian resistance, well, how you can help is by pressuring your representatives, pressuring your politicians into providing shelter and platform to Russian dissidents, to Russian civil society representatives who have to flee abroad or even to those who are within Russia, so that any sort of conversation that Western leaders have with Russian leaders, the fate of Russian political prisoners is front and center.

Geoff Bennett:

Dan Storyev is with the human rights organization OVD-Info.

Thank you for your time this evening.

Dan Storyev:

Thank you very much for having me.