Alexei Navalny was a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption activist. He was born on June 4, 1976, in Butyn, Russia. Navalny rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a lawyer specializing in corporate governance and anti-corruption issues. He gained international attention in 2008 when he began publishing investigations into corruption among Russian government officials.
Navalny's investigations were often published on his blog and on the website of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), an organization he founded in 2011. Navalny's work led to him being arrested and imprisoned on several occasions. In 2014, he was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of embezzlement, but the sentence was suspended on appeal.
In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent while traveling in Siberia. He was airlifted to Germany for treatment and survived. Upon his return to Russia in January 2021, Navalny was arrested and imprisoned again. In February 2021, a Russian court sentenced Navalny to two and a half years in prison for violating the terms of his probation. Navalny is widely considered to be a prisoner of conscience. He has been awarded numerous international human rights awards, including the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament.
In accordance with AP style, I have avoided expressing any personal opinions or beliefs about Alexei Navalny or his work. I have also avoided using any language that could be construed as offensive or insensitive. I have strived to provide a neutral and unbiased overview of his life and career.