- Navalnaya urges people to form long queues at polling stations on 17 March at midday.
- The protest, titled “Midday against Putin,” is a simple and safe action that authorities cannot prohibit.
- Navalny proposed the idea two weeks before his death, maintaining a social media presence.
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has issued a call for an Election Day protest against President Vladimir Putin. As part of the protest, Ms. Navalnaya urged people to form long queues at polling stations on 17 March at midday.
“We need to use Election Day to show that we exist and there are many of us,” she said in a video message.
Ms. Navalnaya’s husband died suddenly at a Russian penal colony on 16 February. She has attributed his death to Mr. Putin.
Supporters have named her call for a polling day protest “Midday against Putin.”
Russia’s presidential election, which most international observers do not believe will be free or fair, will take place from 15 to 17 March. Many widely expect Mr. Putin to secure a fifth term in office.
Ms. Navalnaya stated that showing up at polling stations simultaneously was “a very simple and safe action” that the authorities couldn’t prohibit. It would enable like-minded individuals to “observe that there are many of us and we are strong”.
Ms. Navalnaya added that people could then vote for any candidate except President Putin, spoil their ballot, or write “Navalny” in large letters.
Navalny proposed the idea of a midday gathering at polling stations two weeks before his death. Despite being in jail, Navalny maintained a social media presence through messages posted by his lawyers. He wrote on X that the Election Day protest had the potential to become a genuine “all-Russian protest action… accessible to everyone, everywhere.”
“Millions will be able to take part in it. And tens of millions will witness it,” Navalny wrote.
Navalny himself was prevented from running in the 2018 presidential vote due to an embezzlement conviction widely criticized as politically motivated. He passed away while serving a lengthy prison sentence on politically motivated charges.
The Kremlin has claimed that the 47-year-old died of natural causes, but his supporters and numerous foreign leaders have held Mr. Putin responsible for his fate.
Ms. Navalnaya emerged into the political limelight shortly after her husband’s death was announced. Since then, she has addressed the European Parliament and engaged in discussions with US President Joe Biden.
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