Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the late Russian opposition leader and critic of Putin, Alexei Navalny, has been featured on this year’s Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list in the ‘Leaders’ category.
In her first interview since Navalny’s death on February 16 in an Arctic penal colony, Yulia told Time that her decision to enter politics was aimed at instilling hope among her husband’s supporters and sending a message to the Kremlin that Navalny’s death will not put an end to the anti-Putin resistance, as per The Moscow Times report.
“[Alexei and I] did not talk about [me going into politics],” she said. I just thought that this can’t be allowed to happen. If they think they can kill Alexei and that’s the end of it, they are wrong,” said Yulia to the American news magazine.
Alexei Navalny, who rose to global prominence as a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in February after three years in jail on charges widely seen as “politically motivated”.
In her brief note to Time’s inclusion of Yulia on its list, US Vice President Kamala Harris called Yulia as a ‘courageous fighter’, praising her ‘exceptional selflessness and strength’. Harris affirmed that the United States stands with her and all those fighting for freedom and democracy.
“To the benefit of people around the world, Yulia Navalnaya has now assumed her own leadership role on the world stage. Navalnaya has vowed to continue her husband’s fight for justice and the rule of law, giving renewed hope to those working against corruption and for a free, democratic Russia,” Harris wrote.
“Navalnaya has emerged not only as a symbol of democratic values, but as a courageous fighter for them. The United States stands with her—and all those fighting for freedom and democracy,” the US vice-president stated.
Indian-origin US government official Jigar Shah and World Bank President Ajay Banga also made it to the ‘Leaders’ list, alongside Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, and Taiwan’s next president William Lai.
Apart from the ‘Leaders’ category, the magazine’s annual list, released on Wednesday, is divided into ‘Icons’ and ‘Titans’, among other categories.
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