Republican senators, conservative presenters and commentators of the American right said goodbye this Friday to Russian lawyer and politician Alexei Navalny, the most famous dissident of Vladimir Putin’s regime who died in a Siberian gulag while serving an unfounded 19-year prison sentence.
In addition to praising Navalny, most conservatives condemned Putin for the sudden death of his political rival, calling him a murderer and tyrant.
“The death of Alexei Navalny is a tragedy that shows who Putin is: a ruthless thug that will kill anyone that opposes his tyranny,” Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) wrote on X (Twitter). “Biden must hold Putin accountable and demand the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan & all Americans unjustly held in Russian prisons.”
The death of Alexei Navalny is a tragedy that shows who Putin is: a ruthless thug that will kill anyone that opposes his tyranny.
Biden must hold Putin accountable and demand the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan & all Americans unjustly held in Russian prisons.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) February 16, 2024
His colleague Marco Rubio (R-FL), vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also issued a harsh statement against Putin.
“Navalny’s tragic death at the hands of the Putin bloodthirsty regime is a stark reminder that Putin and his thugs will stop at nothing to silence dissent or those who might expose the level of corruption in the Kremlin,” Rubio wrote. “Two years ago, I had the honor of meeting with Leonid Volkov, Navalny’s then chief of staff, and it was clear that the Russian people’s aspirations for a nation free of authoritarianism is alive and well.”
“We must continue to stand with those brave Russians who dare to speak out and continue to press for the release of political prisoners such as Vladimir Kara-Murza,” said the senator.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member, was not far behind.
“The Russian regime has been trying to murder Alexei Navalny for years to stop his criticism of Vladimir Putin’s corruption and autocracy and to intimidate the Russian people from similar criticism. Tragically, they appear to have finally succeeded in murdering him. We must ensure that they will never succeed in silencing him,” Cruz said.
Not only politicians addressed the situation to pay their respects to Navalny and condemn Putin. Ben Shapiro, editor emeritus of the Daily Wire, left a critical message against those who compare the American justice system with the Russian one.
“No, we haven’t. The militarization of the American justice system is terrible. Also, every one of these people is alive, not in jail, and will get a full trial with appeals process,” Shapiro said after citing a tweet where a conservative account questioned the moral ability of the United States to criticize Russia.
“Navalny was poisoned, then falsely sentenced to 30+ years in the Gulag, and then likely murdered,” Shapiro continued. “You don’t have to support the weaponization of the justice system in America to say that America is far superior to the dictatorial hellscape that is the Putin government.”
You don't have to support the weaponization of the justice system in America to say that America is far superior to the dictatorial hellscape that is the Putin government.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 16, 2024
However, his colleague, Michael Knowles, did criticize the U.S. judicial system in his message after Navalni’s death.
“RIP Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who was imprisoned on trumped-up charges and left to die there. Remember that the American government is currently attempting to do precisely the same thing with our own opposition leader for precisely the same reason,” Knowles said.
RIP Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who was imprisoned on trumped-up charges and left to die there. Remember that the American government is currently attempting to do precisely the same thing to our own opposition leader for precisely the same reason.
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) February 16, 2024
Other conservative-leaning journalists highlighted Navalny’s bravery in confronting Putin’s regime while he was alive.
“The face of courage, to the end. RIP,” wrote Ben Domenech, editor at The Spectator.
The face of courage, to the end. RIP. pic.twitter.com/F2z095C8jv
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) February 16, 2024
Bari Weiss, a former journalist for The New York Times and editor at The Free Press, described Navalny as “A beacon of truth in a world of so many lies.”
A beacon of truth in a world of so many lies. https://t.co/K4TZq38ykZ
— Bari Weiss (@bariweiss) February 16, 2024
