Vladimir Putin’s main rival Alexei Navalny was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday evening while recovering in Germany for violating judicial control. Demonstrations took place and more than a thousand people were arrested. That sign “Kremlin fears Navalny” And “Fear is changing sides”, The commentator is Marie Mendras, a researcher at CNRS and a professor at the Sciences Poe.

FRANCISFO: What will happen after Alexei Navalny is convicted and his followers arrested? Can these protests destabilize the Kremlin?

Marie Mendras: of course. It is clear that the Kremlin fears Navalny and his teams and millions of supporters across Russia. Not just thousands of people on the streets, but millions of people on his blog, on social media, on his television ഇത് This is a unilateral and bizarre decision that no one takes seriously the parody of justice. This will increase the determination of the engaging community and, as we can see, increase the pressure on all Western governments.

Can Moscow use the “against them” card after this Western provocation?

Yes, but to say who? I believe this has been changing in Russia for years. The majority of Russians do not believe in official official propaganda and do not believe that Putin is their savior.

“There is less respect for Putin and more and more anger against the bad government.”

Marie Mendras, CNRS researcher

To Franois

He did not know how to deal with the Pandemic, he did not know how to restore the economy, and a large part of the Russians became completely materially destitute. Against this backdrop of collapse and unilateralism, Navalny’s main leader and best-voiced democratic opposition is emerging.

Will his voice continue from prison?

Of course yes. Because Nawali has a very strong team in Moscow. We arrest them, we look for them, but we release them. There are teams in more than fifty provinces of Russia. More and more journalists, politicians and professional leaders are behind him. Because Navalny asks and demands a very simple thing: the last, unilateral, free, pluralistic and honest election of unilateralism, to allow the Russians to come to power.

What is the purpose of reorganizing the electorate before the September Assembly elections?

That is why the Kremlin panicked. He is now in a completely disproportionate attack to intimidate people. But I do not think he will succeed. I believe fear changes sides. As many as 1,400 protesters across Russia were not silenced on Tuesday evening. On the contrary, these protesters are listening to themselves as they are being arrested. Their arrest is prompting all Western capitals to respond.