At a Meeting, Grieving Navalny's Wife Says "Putin, Judgment Day Will Come"

Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of anti-government activist Alexei Navalny who died in a Siberian prison in Russia, called for punishment of Russian President Vladimir Putin after receiving the tragic news at a conference, the New York Times (NYT) and others reported on the 16th (local time).

According to reports, Navalnaya, upon hearing the news of her husband Navalny's death at the Munich Security Conference held in Germany that day, stood at the podium and said, "If it is true (the news of Navalny's death), I want everyone to know that Putin and all those around him, Putin's friends, and his government will be punished for what they have done to our country, my family, and my husband. That day will come soon."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Receiving a standing ovation from leaders and diplomats attending the conference, Navalnaya said, "I thought for a long time about whether I should be here or immediately take a plane to where my children are," and emphasized, "But I thought about what Alexei would do. He would be here, on this stage."

She also stressed, "I want to urge everyone here and people around the world to unite to defeat this devil in Russia and to overthrow this terrible regime."

Although Navalnaya's speech lasted only two minutes, foreign media reported that it captivated the audience, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken who were present at the conference. In particular, it was noted that Navalnaya maintained her composure while delivering the speech without notes or a script.

Michael McFaul, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, expressed admiration, saying, "It must have been the worst day of her life, but she was very strong."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.