‘I’m not going to surrender my country to them, and I believe that the darkness will eventually fade away’ Alexey Navalny’s letter after two years in custody

January 17, 2023, marks two years since Alexey Navalny returned to Russia and was detained by authorities on trumped-up criminal charges after his attempted poisoning. The opposition leader has been in detention ever since. Today, a post appeared on Navalny’s social media for the anniversary of his detention. Meduza publishes it in full.

It has been exactly two years since I returned to Russia. I have spent these two years in prison. When you write a post like this, you have to ask yourself: How many more of such anniversary posts will you have to write?

Life and the events around us prompt the answer, however many it may take. Our miserable, exhausted Motherland needs to be saved. It has been pillaged, wounded, dragged into an aggressive war, and turned into a prison run by the most unscrupulous and deceitful scoundrels. Any opposition to this gang - even if only symbolic in my current limited capacity - is important.

I said it two years ago, and I will say it again: Russia is my country. I was born and raised here, my parents are here, and I made a family here — I found a loved one and had kids with her. I am a full-fledged citizen and I have the right to unite with like-minded people and be politically active. There are plenty of us, certainly more than corrupt judges, lying propagandists, and Kremlin crooks.

I'm not going to surrender my country to them, and I believe that the darkness will eventually fade away. But as long as it persists, I will do all I can, try to do what is right, and urge everyone not to abandon hope.

Russia will be happy!