Putin critic Alexey Navalny's widow urges Americans not to take democracy for granted

LONDON -- Yulia Navalnaya, nan widow of nan Russian guidance leader Alexey Navalny, has told Americans not to return their populist for granted arsenic they hole to ballot successful the 2024 statesmanlike election.

"I would opportunity to American voters, don't return everything for illustration granted," Navalnaya told ABC's "The View" successful an question and reply airing Thursday. "You are still surviving successful antiauthoritarian state and I still judge successful American institutions and conscionable make nan correct choice."

Yulia Navalnaya speaks astir her precocious husband, Russian guidance leader Alexei Navaly, connected The View.

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Navalnaya said to "The View" for nan motorboat of a memoir written by her precocious husband, Russia's astir celebrated pro-democracy campaigner and President Vladimir Putin's fiercest opponent. He died successful situation successful February and nan book, titled "Patriot," was mostly written while he was detained.

You tin watch "The View" question and reply pinch Yulia Navalnaya connected ABC astatine 11 a.m. ET connected Thursday, Oct. 24.

Navalnaya did not definitive a penchant for Vice President Kamala Harris aliases erstwhile president Donald Trump to triumph nan election. However, her hubby expressed siren astir nan anticipation of a 2nd Trump presidency successful a missive written from prison.

"Trump's schedule and plans look genuinely scary. What a nightmare," Navalny wrote to his friend, nan photographer Yevgeny Feldman, who shared nan missive from December 2023.

Navalny died abruptly successful a situation camp successful nan Russian Arctic successful February. Russian authorities claimed nan 47-year-old died from earthy causes, but his family and supporters accused nan Kremlin of murdering him.

Russian guidance leader Alexei Navalny and his woman Yulia return portion successful a march successful representation of guidance leader Boris Nemtsov successful Moscow, Russia, connected February 26, 2017.

Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In September, independent Russian investigative news outlet The Insider said it obtained nan constabulary report into Navalny's death. It reportedly stated that, successful nan minutes earlier he died, Navalny had suffered a "sharp pain" successful his stomach, vomiting and convulsing connected nan floor.

In nan last type of nan constabulary report, nan explanation of Navalny's symptoms arsenic described successful nan first study -- each powerfully suggestive of a imaginable poisoning -- had been near out, according to The Insider.

Navalny was imprisoned successful January 2021 aft deciding to return to Russia, contempt his near-fatal poisoning pinch a nervus agent months earlier. He was arrested connected presence astatine nan airdrome successful Moscow and sentenced to 19 years, connected charges widely condemned arsenic politically motivated.

Married to Navaly for 24 years, Navalnaya worked intimately pinch him earlier his decease but mostly remained retired of sight. Since his death, she has stepped guardant to capable his spot arsenic an guidance leader. She leads his organization, nan Anti-Corruption Foundation, and campaigns internationally for greater efforts to punish Putin's regime.

"When he was killed, it was very important for maine to show that moreover they are fresh to termination nan person, to termination our guidance leader. He wasn't conscionable my husband, he was very adjacent friend," she told "The View." "He was leader whom I supported and it was very important for maine to show that we'll proceed our fight. And to punctual nan world astir him."

Russian guidance leader Alexei Navalny addresses demonstrators during a rally to support guidance and independent candidates aft authorities refused to registry them for September elections to nan Moscow City Duma, Moscow, July 20, 2019.

Maxim Zmeyev/AFP via Getty Images

Navalnaya besides told nan panelists that she's definite nan afloat communicative of really her hubby died will beryllium revealed, noting that nan Anti-Corruption Foundation was moving to make it happen.

She was incapable to be her husband's ceremonial successful March -- which was held nether aggravated restrictions successful Moscow -- because she faced imaginable detention. A Russian tribunal successful July ordered her apprehension connected extremism charges.

Navalnaya is undeterred by imaginable threats to her well-being , she told "The View" panelists.

"I dream it ne'er happens, but if thing will hap pinch me, location will beryllium different people, and location will beryllium group who [will be] fighting pinch Putin's authorities for galore years," she said.

Alexei Navalny's memoir "Patriot" was mostly written while nan precocious Russian guidance leader was successful prison. It's disposable now.

Penguin Random House

Despite nan dangers to him, Navalnaya said they some wanted Navalny to return to Russia, hoping to promote group successful their state to "not beryllium afraid."

"There are a batch of group successful Russia against Putin's regime," she said. "Of course, it was an action to enactment location overseas successful exile. But erstwhile I deliberation astir it, I'm reasoning that he would beryllium unhappy."

In his book, Navalny expressed his belief that he would ne'er beryllium released while Putin's authorities remained and that authorities would apt poison him.

He besides wrote astir nan harsh conditions successful situation and his condemnation that returning to Russia was worthwhile contempt his imprisonment. He besides recounted 1 of Navalnaya's visits successful nan early days of his clip successful prison, during which they accepted that he would apt dice successful detention.

"It was 1 of those moments erstwhile you recognize you recovered nan correct person. Or possibly she recovered you. Where other could I ever person recovered personification who could talk nan astir difficult matters pinch maine without a batch of play and hand-wringing?" he wrote. "She wholly sewage it and, for illustration me, would dream for nan best, but expect and hole for nan worst. I kissed her connected nan chemoreceptor and felt overmuch better."

Navalnaya told "The View" that nan point she misses astir successful nan aftermath of her husband's decease is coming location and spending evenings talking pinch him.

"I astir apt miss evenings. When you travel backmost home," she said. "I'm sitting present speaking pinch you and I want to travel backmost location and to stock this pinch him and to talk it. And each these, you know, very mean things, of people I miss a lot."