### Memoir of Late Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Reveals Foreseen Fate

Late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in excerpts from his memoir, expressed his expectation of perishing in prison. Navalny, a relentless critic of corruption under President Vladimir Putin's administration, succumbed while detained in a remote Arctic prison in February. He had been serving a 19-year sentence on multiple charges including running an extremist group, charges which he claimed were politically motivated.

Navalny was incarcerated following his return to Russia in 2021 after recovering in Germany from a nerve agent poisoning, which he attributed to the Kremlin. This marked his third prison term since coming back. Russian authorities have consistently denied any involvement in either the poisoning or his subsequent death.

In his memoir, Navalny recounted working on the book while recuperating from the poisoning and continued writing during his intermittent periods both in and out of prison. Faced with grim prospects, he described strategies to cope with his imprisonment, stating he would vividly imagine the worst possible scenario and come to terms with it, forecasting his death in prison. On March 22, 2022, he penned, "I will spend the rest of my life in prison and die here."

Despite this grim acceptance, Navalny's memoir mirrors his steadfast opposition to Russian corruption. Reflecting a proactive stance, he wrote, "I am trying to do everything I can from here to put an end to authoritarianism (or, more modestly, to contribute to ending it)."

An excerpt dated January 17, 2024, reveals Navalny's response to inquiries from inmates and guards about his decision to return to Russia: "If your convictions mean something, you must be prepared to stand up for them and make sacrifices if necessary."

Navalny's writings also highlight his humor amid the isolation of imprisonment. He recollects a bet with his lawyers on the length of a new prison sentence: "Olga reckoned eleven to fifteen years. Vadim surprised everyone with his prediction of precisely twelve years and six months. I guessed seven to eight years and was the winner."

His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, in a statement released by the publisher in April, emphasized the memoir not only as a reflection of Navalny's life but as a demonstration of his unwavering resolve in combating dictatorship. She expressed hope that the memoir, already translated into 11 languages with a planned release in Russian, would inspire others to uphold their convictions and cherish fundamental values.