Alexei Navalny published a text dedicated to his return to Russia exactly two years ago. He spent the same amount of time since then in custody after his arrest right at the passport control in Sheremetyevo. The Insider quotes the politician's post in its entirety:
“Exactly two years ago I returned to Russia. And I spent exactly two years in prison. And when you write such a post, whether you like it or not, you ask yourself the question: how many more of these anniversary posts are to be written?
But life and what is happening around themselves suggest the answer: yes, no matter how much it takes. Our unfortunate tormented motherland needs to be saved. She was robbed, wounded, drawn into an aggressive war and turned into a prison run by the most shameless and deceitful villains. Any opposition to this gang – however symbolic in my current limited capacity – is important.
Like two years ago, I say: Russia is my country. I was born and raised here, my parents are here, and here I started a family – I found a loved one, I had children. I am a full-fledged citizen and have the right to unite with those who think the same way as I do and to conduct political activities. And there are many of us, certainly more than corrupt judges, false propagandists and Kremlin thieves.
I am not going to give them my country and I believe that the darkness will disappear. But as long as it lasts, I will do what I can, try to do the right thing and encourage everyone not to indulge in discouragement.
Russia will be happy!”
On January 17, 2021, Navalny returned to Russia from Germany, where he received treatment after being poisoned with chemical weapons. The Federal Penitentiary Service stated that the politician was detained in connection with violations of the probationary period in the Yves Rocher case and putting him on the wanted list (this contradicted the decision of the ECHR, as well as the fact that Navalny’s probation period in the Yves Rocher case expired on December 30 2020).
In October 2022, Navalny was also accused of "calling for terrorism and extremism, financing extremist activities and rehabilitating Nazism." All this, according to the Investigative Committee, he did without leaving the colony. In this case, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
According to Navalny, he has already received official notification of the initiation of the case.
“I am a genius of the underworld. Professor Moriarty smokes nervously on the sidelines. You all thought that I was in isolation for two years, in prison, but it turns out that I actively commit crimes. It’s good that the UK showed vigilance and didn’t miss anything,” Navalny wrote. – Chic? A rare criminal has done as much in the wild as I have behind bars. The only thing that overshadows my complacency is that these successes are the merit not only of me, but also of my accomplices: Volkov, Zhdanov, Chanysheva. I am the leader of a criminal group, and they follow my orders."