‘Stay Strong, My Love’: Alexey Navalny’s Wife Yulia Accepts Oscar For Documentary as He Remains Jailed By Putin

Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, spoke at the 95th Academy Awards after a documentary about his life and assassination attempt won Best Documentary Feature Film.

NAVALNY, by director Daniel Roher, tells the shocking story of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s attempt on Navalny’s life, as well as Navalny’s attempt to track down his attempted killers as he recovered in Germany. The opposition leader was jailed upon his return to Russia and remains imprisoned in a maximum security prison.

To the Navalny family, Yulia, Dasha, and Zahar thank you for your courage, the world is with you,” Roher said in an acceptance speech. “And there’s one person who couldn’t be with us here tonight. Alexey Navalny, the leader of the Russian opposition, remains in solitary confinement, for what he calls, I want to make sure we get his words exactly right: Vladimir Putin’s unjust war of aggression in Ukraine.”

“I would like to dedicate this award to Navalny, to all political prisoners around the world,” Roher continued. “Alexey: the world has not forgotten your message to us all. We cannot, we must not be afraid to oppose dictators and
authoritarianism wherever it rears its head.”

Yulia Navalnaya delivered short remarks, including a message to her husband, after Roher spoke.

“My husband is in prison just for telling the truth,” she said. “My husband is in prison just for defending democracy. Alexey, I am dreaming the day when you will be free and our country will be free. Stay strong, my love. Thank you.”

CNN, which produced the documentary alongside HBO, issued a statement on the award win:

“NAVALNY, first and foremost, is about the passion, drive, and inspiring heroism of Alexey Navalny, who even as we celebrate this award continues to languish in a penal colony,” said Amy Entelis, Executive Vice President, Talent and Content Development for CNN Worldwide

“An extraordinary group of people were dedicated to keeping Alexey’s story in front of the world, from our indefatigable film team led by visionary director Daniel Roher to our partners at Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max, and of course our friends at Bellingcat and CNN’s Clarissa Ward.” Entelis added, “behind each project in CNN Films’ 10-year history is an incredible group of people who I know are beaming with pride today.

This is a monumental win to have the global storytelling of CNN honored with an Academy Award and a testament to the lasting impact of CNN Films.”

NAVALNY is presented by CNN Films and HBO Max and explores the attempted assassination of enigmatic Russian anti-corruption campaigner and former presidential candidate, Alexey Navalny

. In a riveting account that unwinds like a real-life thriller director Daniel Roher methodically documents the careful research and analysis that unmasked Navalny’s would-be killers, and why they sought to kill the man Vladimir Putin apparently considers a serious threat to his power. Roher interweaves interviews with Navalny, Navalny’s family, and contemporaneous eyewitnesses to key events, with other records. The film follows the investigation into the assassination plot, and includes reporting from the investigative news organization, Bellingcat, and CNN.