Yulia Navalnaya pledges to continue her late husband’s work

Navalny’s widow Yulia posted a video on his team’s official YouTube channel announcing her intention to “continue the work of Alexey Navalny” and that “the struggle for a free Russia will not cease”.

“Putin did not just kill Alexey Navalny the man. Alongside him, he wanted to kill our hopes, our freedom and our future, to destroy and wipe out the best proof that Russia can be different — that we are strong, we are brave, we believe, we fight desperately, and we want to live differently.”

In the nine-minute video, Navalnaya spoke of her husband’s unwavering positivity and belief in a brighter future for Russia even as prison authorities deliberately subjected him to the most inhumane of conditions.

“My husband could not be broken, and that’s exactly why Putin killed him — like a coward, not daring to look him in the eye or even say his name,” Navalnaya said.

Navalnaya urged people to come together and strike at the “insane regime” as one to “hit Putin, his friends, and the criminals in uniform, thieves and murderers who have destroyed our country.”

“I urge you to stand beside me. To share not only the grief and the endless pain that has enveloped us and won’t let go. I ask you to share with me the rage. Rage, anger, hatred for those who killed our future. I address you with Alexey’s words, which I totally believe: ‘It is not a shame to do little. It is a shame to do nothing. It is shameful to let yourself be intimidated.’”

“We need to use every opportunity to fight against war, against corruption, against injustice, to fight for fair elections and for freedom of speech, to fight to take back our country for ourselves,” Navalnaya said, urging viewers to “fight, and don’t give up. I am not afraid, and you should not be afraid either.”

“More than anything else in the world, Alexey loved Russia — he loved our country, he loved you. He believed in us, our strength, our future, and that we deserve better.”

“His huge love will be enough for us to continue his work for as long as it takes, as fiercely and bravely as Alexey did,” Navalnaya said.