Excerpts from Russian opposition leader Navalny’s memoir show he knew he would die in prison

Late Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny's memoir reveals his belief he would die in prison, exposing his fight against corruption.

Excerpts of a memoir written by late Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny revealed he believed he would die in prison.

The New Yorker magazine published the excerpts Friday (October 11, 2024) in anticipation of the release of “Patriot” on October 22, 2024.

Navalny was President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest and most prominent foe and relentlessly campaigned against official corruption in Russia. He died in a remote Arctic prison in February 2024 while serving a 19-year sentence on several charges, including running an extremist group, which he said were politically motivated.

He was jailed after returning in 2021 from Germany where he was recuperating from a nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin, and was given three prison terms since. Russian officials have vehemently denied involvement both in the poisoning and in his death.

“Patriot" was announced in April by publisher Alfred A. Knopf, who called it the late politician’s “final letter to the world."

According to Mr. Knopf, Navalny began working on the book while recovering from the poisoning and continued writing it in Russia, both in and out of prison.

In detailing his coping strategies while imprisoned, Navalny said he would “imagine, as realistically as possible, the worst thing that could happen. And then (...) accept it.” For him, this was dying in prison.