Yulia Navalnaya, Wife of Late Russian Opposition Leader, Urges Voters to Choose Anyone but Putin

Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the late Alexei Navalny, a prominent opponent of Vladimir Putin, urged the Russian people to vote for any political rivals of the Russian president during the upcoming presidential elections on March 17. In a video posted on the social media platform YouTube, Mrs. Navalnaya thanked all those who attended her husband's funeral and expressed hope for the future of Putin's opponents. She also called on the public to vote against Putin and his policies on the election day. In her video message, Yulia Navalnaya said, 'We must use this day to show that we exist and that we are many. We are real and alive people, and we oppose Putin.' She added, 'The choice is yours. You can vote for any candidate except Putin. You can write Navalny's name in capital letters on the ballots.' Since Alexei Navalny's death, Mrs. Navalnaya has committed to continuing his legacy. She has met with U.S. President Joe Biden and several European officials and has spoken at the Munich Security Conference and the European Parliament. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has denied any involvement of Vladimir Putin in Alexei Navalny's death but has refrained from commenting on the public reaction to his death and funeral. The death certificate of Alexei Navalny states that he died of natural causes at the age of 47. Alexei Navalny, the most prominent political opponent of Putin, died under suspicious circumstances on February 16 while serving a 30-year prison sentence in a penal colony in the Yamalo-Nenets region, about 1900 kilometers northeast of Moscow. On February 23, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. would impose over 500 new sanctions against Russia in commemoration of the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the repression of dissent within Russia, and the death of Alexei Navalny. In response to Navalny's death, President Biden stated, 'Do not be mistaken. Putin is responsible for Navalny's death.' The European Union has called for a 'transparent international investigation' into Navalny's death. Hundreds have been arrested in Russia for commemorating Alexei Navalny; Yulia Navalnaya stated, 'I love you.'