Navalny Launches Antiwar Campaign

Politician and political prisoner Alexei Navalny recently announced the launch of a comprehensive initiative termed the "Truth Machine." This project aims to combat President Vladimir Putin’s regime and its propaganda efforts supporting its war of aggression in Ukraine.

In a statement posted on his website, Navalny emphasized that the Russian government’s authority relies on suppressing voices that dare to reveal the truth. He highlighted how authorities focus on silencing dissent through imprisonment for online posts, combating "fake news," branding organizations and individuals as foreign agents, or declaring NGOs undesirable.

Navalny’s Truth Machine aims to attack these efforts head-on. Inspired by the principles of pre-election campaigns, the project aims to conduct surveys, target diverse groups, and tailor approaches to each specific audience. In particular, Navalny said they plan to reach out to those directly affected by the war in Ukraine, including the relatives of the deceased or wounded and the hundreds of thousands mobilized soldiers who have witnessed Putin’s war firsthand.

Navalny's plan intends to use offshore call centers, messaging platforms, and social networks. He called upon individuals willing to participate in the project to contact his organization via email. They specifically seek assistance from IT specialists, marketers, sociologists, political scientists, funders, and volunteers.

Meanwhile, Navalny remains confined in a penal colony in the Vladimir Oblast, where his trial in a new criminal case began on June 19. In this instance, he faces multiple charges, including creating an "extremist community," promoting "extremism," establishing an NGO that infringes upon citizens' rights, financing extremism, involving minors in dangerous activities, and even rehabilitating Nazism. Navalny could face an additional sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted.

Even if he is found innocent in the current case, Navalny will remain incarcerated until 2031.