Photo by mahdi rezaei on Unsplash
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of murdered Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei, has made an emotional appearance in the European Parliament.
Fighting back tears in an address to a packed plenary in Strasbourg on 28 February, she accused the Russian mafia state, led by President Vladimir Putin, of having orchestrated her husband’s killing.
She said that “the murder had again shown everyone that Putin is capable of anything and that you cannot negotiate with him”.
She also expressed concern that none of the EU’s current restrictive measures have really stopped Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
To this end, Navalnaya called for more innovative ideas to defeat Putin’s regime, both domestically and its actions towards its neighbours.
“If you really want to defeat Putin, you have to become an innovator. You can’t hurt Putin with another resolution or another set of sanctions that is no different from the previous ones.You aren’t dealing with a politician but with a bloody mobster. The most important thing is the people close to Putin, his friends, associates, and keepers of the mafia’s money. You, and all of us, must fight this criminal gang.”
She recalled how, in the past, she had made a previous visit to Strasbourg with her late husband and their children but was now visiting on her own.
She continued by saying that being politically innovative means fighting organised crime, not political competition.
She told MEPs: “No diplomatic notes, but investigations into the financial machinations. Not statements of concern, but a search for mafia associates in your countries, for the discreet lawyers and financiers who are helping Putin and his friends to hide money”.
She also pointed out that “in this fight you have reliable allies – there are tens of millions of Russians who are against Putin, against the war, against the evil he brings. Putin must answer for what he has done to my country. Putin must answer for what he has done to a neighbouring peaceful country. And Putin must answer for everything he has done to Alexei”.
Physically sighing, she said, “now my husband is dead I am back in Strasbourg but not with my family.”
She said that time allocated for organising the speech and visit had had to be spent “trying to get his body back.”
She said his funeral will be held in Moscow on Friday adding, “I am not sure if it will be peaceful but I want to say goodbye to my husband.”
She said last weekend marked the 2nd anniversary “since this brutal war started and there has been much blood and much disappointment too.”
“Nothing is working including sanctions and people are saying that we will have to come to an agreement with Putin.”
She added, “They kept him in a tiny cell and he was cut off from outside world. Then they killed him. Even then they kept his body and abused his mother. I can see how shocked everyone is but many feel Putin can’t be defeated and are now asking me: how can I help you? I wonder how my husband would answer this question?”
“If you want to hurt him do not hit him with another set of sanctions. He has no morals and you are not dealing here with a politician but he must answer for what he has done to my country and to my husband.”
To loud applause she said , “I will do my best to make his dream of a beautiful future come true.”
