Navalny was a principled leader
I am deeply saddened by the death of courageous and principled leader Alexei Navalny. I regretted his decision to return to Russia and the cruel vindictiveness of President Vladimir Putin.
I wish that Navalny had stayed abroad after he recovered from his near-fatal poisoning by agents of the Russian state, so that he could have continued to speak out and inspire so many others around the world. Unfortunately, he would still have been on Putin's hit list.
We all need to be aware of and speak out against threats to democracy around the world.
Elaine Petermann, Ottawa
Navalny was Russia's best hope
I was as surprised as most people to learn of the untimely death of Alexei Navalny. In a court-video appearance the day before his death, he looked to be quite healthy.
Navalny exposed high-level corruption within Russia, including that of President Vladimir Putin. He was a leading opposition candidate for the presidency, and he had the ability to draw large crowds. Keeping him in prison was an effective way for Putin to limit the field of candidates in the upcoming election — essentially to himself only.
After a near-death from a poison agent, and a miraculous recovery in Germany, Navalny chose to return to the perils within Russia. Unfortunately, it cost him his life. In my opinion, he was Russia's best hope for a better, humane government; one other countries could respect and deal with. That hope has now gone.
Bruce Switzer, Ottawa
Rename this street to honour Navalny
Re: Name Russian Embassy street after Alexei Navalny, Feb. 21. Letter-writer Robert Hage's proposal to rename Charlotte Street (the street that houses the Russian embassy) to Navalny Street is outstanding. The question is: do we have a mayor and councillors who can see the merits of this proposal and act on it?
Colin Henderson, Ottawa
A Nobel Prize nod to Navalny's wife?
Several Citizen readers have already made the comparison between Nelson Mandela and Alexei Navalny: brave men who fought for peaceful change, freedom and injustice from inside prison walls.
Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts and the Nobel rules apparently only allow nominations for individuals who are alive (Navalny would have been a worthy candidate before he was killed, and had he been chosen, might still be alive).
With that in mind, perhaps his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, who has promised to keep up her late husband's peaceful struggle for freedom and democracy, will be nominated.
Kris Nanda, Ottawa
Under Putin, more war is inevitable
Vladimir Putin must be rolling on the floor laughing at the West as it spews empty words over the death of Alexei Navalny. The West seems to be treating this like some schoolyard spat.
Putin couldn't care less about what the West thinks as he continues his lifelong quest to have the former Soviet Union back in place. The tension in Europe must be extremely high: historically, Europe has always been the main battlefield.
The current situation seems similar to the late 1930s in Europe when countries were busy appeasing Hitler. Like the Nazi regime in the 1930s, the Russians are building a battle-hardened military ready for the day Putin decides to step over the line and create his version of Poland.
History suggests that, whether we want it or not, and for whatever reasons, war is inevitable. Actually, it has already happened: the war in Ukraine. Lest we forget.
Bill Reid, Ottawa
(Alexei Navalny) was Russia's best hope for a better, humane government; one other countries could respect and deal with. That hope has now gone.
Bruce Switzer, Ottawa