On Feb. 25, Amnesty International stripped away the status of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as a prisoner of conscience. By singling him out, the move was a blunder, one that undermines the Russian people’s fight against Putinism. If international attention remains focused only on the person rather than the protest movement, this will hinder the development of an opposition movement in Russia and inhibit the democratic world’s response to Putin’s authoritarianism.
OP-ED
Alexander Vindman, Garry Kasparov: It’s not Navalny vs. Putin. It’s democracy vs. authoritarianism.
Young people turn on the flashlights of their mobile phones in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny near Red Square in Moscow on February 14, 2021. - The gathering came after authorities sentenced Navalny last week to nearly three years in prison and unleashed a crackdown on his supporters. Navalny's arrest on arrival back in Russia last month sparked nationwide protests that saw more than 10,000 people detained and led to allegations of police abuse. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)
