Parliament will commemorate the life of Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, featuring a plenary address by his wife Yulia Navalnaya.
Navalny, a well-known anti-corruption activist, opposition politician, 2021 Sakharov Prize laureate and an ardent critic of President Vladimir Putin, died under mysterious circumstances on Friday 16 February. He was detained in a remote penal colony in the Russian Arctic, serving a long prison sentence on trumped-up charges. To commemorate his life and work, MEPs will welcome his wife Yulia Navalnaya on Wednesday. She will address the plenary at 11.30, followed by a round of interventions by speakers from the political groups.
On Wednesday afternoon, MEPs will also debate Mr Navalny’s death with the European Commission and Belgian Presidency representatives. They are expected to condemn the Russian regime and President Vladimir Putin, and discuss the dangerous situation facing opposition figures, journalists and human rights defenders in Russia. A resolution will be put to a vote on Thursday.