At the end of the Oscar-winning documentary “Navalny,” Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny delivers a final chilling message.
“I’ve got something very obvious to tell you. You’re not allowed to give up,” the long-time nemesis of Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Russian as he looked into the camera.
Navalny, 47, reportedly died Friday in an Arctic prison, where he was serving a 19-year sentence on charges he and his supporters said were politically driven by Putin.
The Russian Federal Prison Service said Navalny “felt unwell after a walk” and “almost immediately” lost consciousness. He later was pronounced dead.
The day before, he was seen smiling and joking during a court appearance via video.
His death is the latest in a string of suspicious deaths among Putin’s foes, and it has prompted international outcry as Putin’s critics, including officials in the U.S., blame the Russian leader.
Prompted in the documentary to deliver a message to his Russian supporters, Navalny said, “If they decided to kill me, then it means we are incredibly strong.”
“We need to utilize this power to not give up, to remember we are a huge power that is being oppressed by these bad dudes. We don’t realize how strong we actually are. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing, so don’t be inactive,” he says with a stern look before flashing a smile at the end of the film.