'Death in Prison' Navalny Posthumously Awarded the 'Dresden Peace Prize'

Russian anti-government activist Alexei Navalny, who died in prison last February, has been selected as the recipient of the Dresden Peace Prize.

According to the dpa news agency on the 12th (local time), Navalny's wife Yulia Navalnaya will receive the Dresden Peace Prize on behalf of her husband.

On the afternoon of February 20th, a memorial space for Russian anti-government activist Alexei Navalny was set up in front of the statue of Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin in front of Lotte Department Store in Jung-gu, Seoul.

At the award ceremony, former German President Joachim Gauck will deliver a congratulatory speech, and a requiem composed by Russian composer Sergey Nevski for Navalny will be performed.

Previously, Navalny, a human rights lawyer, was regarded as the "greatest rival" of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since 2011, Navalny established the "Anti-Corruption Foundation" and exposed corruption among President Putin and high-ranking Russian officials.

In August 2020, he collapsed on a plane heading to Moscow showing symptoms of poisoning by an unknown toxin. After receiving treatment in Germany, he returned to Russia in January 2021 but was immediately arrested upon arrival at the Russian airport. He suddenly died in a Siberian prison on February 16. Various suspicions have been raised surrounding his death.

The Dresden Prize has been awarded since 2010 by the "German Dresden Friendship Association" to individuals who have contributed to international peace. Past recipients include former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, pianist Daniel Barenboim, and conflict zone photojournalist James Nachtwey. From this year, the award has been renamed the Dresden Peace Prize.