Navalny’s ‘Incredibly Strong’ Comment is for All of Us

Alexey Navalny

Alexey Navalny, the long-jailed Russian government opposition figure, knew he would likely be murdered. He spoke frankly about it, aiming to encourage his supporters.

“If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong," he said, not long before he was found dead. “We need to utilize this power to not give up, to remember we are a huge power that is being oppressed by these bad dudes.”

The “47-year-old fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin died (late last week) after he felt unwell on a walk at his prison and fell unconscious, according to the Russian prison service,” per Darya Tarasova and Radina Gigova at CNN.

Navalny had been jailed since 2021 and had survived an attempted poisoning before being arrested on charges that he strongly asserted were politically motivated, wrote CNN.

Standing against corruption, doing it publicly, being a whistleblower, is dangerous decision-making and a life that is sure to be attacked if not snuffed out.

So Navalny’s, “if they kill me” statement and forecast can also apply, as both a literal forecast and a figure of speech when those doing the courageous communicating are going exposing themselves to intense risk, of harm in government, business, workplaces and personal relationships.

Navalny was a person of principle and it cost him. Others have done the same. It’s not for the faint of heart. Only the few are willing. They matter and are deserving of being honored and remembered in history.