Widow of late Russian opposition leader Navalny unveils memorial plaque in The Hague

Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian opposition leader Aleksej Navalny, unveiled a memorial plaque Saturday opposite the Russian embassy in The Hague, NOS reported. The plaque, mounted on a bench, bears inscriptions in Dutch, English, and Russian: “Aleksej Navalny (1976-2024), died for freedom.”

Navalny was a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, known for exposing corruption and self-enrichment among top officials. In 2020, he was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok but recovered in Berlin.

In January 2021, Navalny returned to Moscow, where he was immediately arrested upon arrival at the airport. He was never released and died last year under suspicious circumstances in a remote Siberian penal colony.

The Russian embassy in The Hague is located on Andries Bickerweg. Following Navalny’s death, tens of thousands of people signed a petition urging the city to rename the street in his honor. The municipality rejected the proposal and instead placed the commemorative plaque.

Navalnaya said the unveiling was meant to honor her husband’s fight for freedom and human rights.