Tyrants and dictators are accustomed to facing criticism, condemnation, and revulsion. The suffering and pleas of their victims hold no significance for them. The curses and tears of families and friends who have lost their loved ones, imprisoned, tortured, or killed are seen by these tyrants as a twisted form of validation for their power, cruelty, and inhumanity.
However, what these oppressive tyrants cannot tolerate is mockery. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia and an indicted, mass-murdering war criminal, is no exception to this humorless rule. Putin takes himself extremely seriously and appears to have no sense of humor. He lacks the ability to make fun of himself, just as a wolf lacks mercy. Yet, in essence, he is absurd—a small man in a position that is too big for him.
Could it be that mockery was the reason why Alexei Navalny, Putin's most outspoken and well-known critic, was ultimately killed? Over the years, this courageous advocate for freedom, democracy, integrity, and justice had provoked and taunted the corrupt Kremlin butcher countless times. In a well-documented incident in 2020, Putin's agents were suspected of attempting, unsuccessfully, to assassinate Navalny using the nerve agent novichok. Miraculously, he survived.
Navalny's greatest talent was his ability to survive. He faced constant threats, arrests, beatings, and abuse. His family and friends were intimidated, and his supporters were harassed and worse. However, he never gave up. While many others would have chosen silence, exile, and safety, Navalny persisted in his fight. Even after being poisoned, he received treatment in Germany but astonishingly decided to return to Russia to continue his struggle.
Naturally, Putin had him arrested again immediately upon his arrival at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. Navalny had been held in custody since then, most recently in the Arctic Circle's brutal Polar Wolf penal colony, serving a 19-year sentence under "special regime" conditions. Concerns were raised about his health and safety, as the colony's conditions, surrounded by freezing tundra, are exceptionally harsh.
However, weather didn't cause his death. Navalny was nothing if not resilient, repeatedly proving it. The Russian authorities claim that an official investigation into the cause of his death is underway. But their lies are well-known, and their contempt for facts and truth is boundless. Any investigation conducted by Putin's regime into its own actions would be as thorough and revealing as an interview with Tucker Carlson, meaning it's a mere facade.
Navalny may have been poisoned again. His reported sudden loss of consciousness after exercising outdoors suggests that something of that nature might have occurred. He may have been subjected to abuse or physical attack. When his mother saw him on Monday, she said he was "alive, healthy, and happy." It seems highly unlikely that his death was a result of natural causes.
Regardless of the method used to murder Navalny, the reason for executing a death sentence at this particular moment may be closely tied to ridicule. Navalny's latest act of mockery toward the pompous, self-absorbed, puritanical, and pathetically insecure Putin and his cronies may have played a significant role. Last month, during a video conference court appearance from the Yamalo-Nenets penal colony, Navalny, looking emaciated with a shaved head, made jokes about the regime's exaggerated response to a notorious "almost naked party" attended by wealthy Muscovites. These wealthy individuals had been criticized for partying while so many young Russian lives were being lost in the trenches of eastern Ukraine due to Putin's disastrous "special military operation."
Reportedly, Putin was shown scandalous images from the event, and even he realized how bad it looked. The nightclub was closed down, and a military summons was issued for the rapper Nikolai Vasilyev, who had attended the party wearing a sock over his penis. During the court video conference, Navalny asked the prison officers, "Did you have a party? You probably had a naked party," suggesting that they were involved. Even the judge laughed at the comment. While it may seem insignificant, Putin likely viewed it differently. Once again, despite everything Putin had done to him, the irrepressible Navalny was making fun of him. Navalny defiantly had the last laugh.
And so, the wretched Putin decided to ensure that it would be Navalny's last laugh ever.
Can we be certain that this is what actually happened? Given the long list of sudden deaths among Putin's opponents and critics, there is only one thing that seems certain: the full, unfiltered, ugly truth will not be revealed until, at the earliest, this tyrant is deposed or meets his own demise.
Last year, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group who had threatened mutiny, was blown out of the sky, becoming the latest prominent victim among Putin's targets. In Britain alone, there haveTyrants and dictators are accustomed to facing criticism, condemnation, and scorn. They are indifferent to the cries of their victims and view the curses and tears of families and friends, who have suffered the loss, imprisonment, torture, or death of their loved ones, as a sick tribute to their power, cruelty, and inhumanity.
However, what your typical brutal tyrant cannot tolerate is ridicule. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia and an indicted war criminal responsible for mass murder, is no exception to this unfunny rule. Putin takes himself extremely seriously, lacking any sense of humor. Self-deprecation is as foreign to him as mercy is to a wolf. Yet, fundamentally, he is absurd—a small man in a position that exceeds his capabilities.
Could mockery be the reason why Alexei Navalny, Putin's most vocal and well-known critic, was ultimately killed? It is unknown how many times Navalny, a courageous advocate for freedom, democracy, integrity, and justice, provoked and taunted the corrupt Kremlin butcher over the years. In a well-documented incident in 2020, Putin's agents were suspected of attempting, but failing, to assassinate him using the nerve agent novichok. Remarkably, Navalny survived.
Navalny's greatest talent was his ability to survive. He faced constant threats, arrests, beatings, and abuse. His family and friends were intimidated, and his supporters were harassed or worse. Yet, he never gave up. While many others would have chosen silence, exile, or safety, Navalny persisted in his fight. Even after being poisoned, he received treatment in Germany but astonishingly decided to return to Russia to continue his battle.
Naturally, Putin had him arrested again immediately upon his arrival at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. Navalny had been imprisoned ever since, most recently in the brutal Arctic Circle penal colony known as Polar Wolf, where he served a 19-year sentence under "special regime" conditions. Concerns were raised about his health and safety as the conditions in the colony, surrounded by freezing tundra, were exceptionally harsh.
However, weather was not the cause of his death. Navalny was nothing if not resilient, repeatedly demonstrating it. The Russian authorities claim that an official investigation into his death is underway. Yet, their reputation for lies and their endless contempt for facts and truth are well-known. Any investigation conducted by Putin's regime into its own actions would be as thorough and revealing as an interview with Tucker Carlson—in other words, a sham.
Navalny might have been poisoned once again. His reported sudden loss of consciousness after exercising outdoors suggests that something of that nature may have occurred. He could have been subjected to abuse or physical attack. According to his mother, when she saw him on Monday, he was "alive, healthy, and happy." A death resulting from natural causes seems highly improbable.
Regardless of the method used to murder Navalny, the reason for executing a death sentence at this particular moment may be primarily linked to ridicule. Navalny's latest act of mockery aimed at the pompous, self-important, puritanical, and pathetically insecure Putin and his cronies could have played a significant role. Last month, during a video conference court appearance from the Yamalo-Nenets penal colony, Navalny, looking thin with a shaved head, made jokes about the regime's exaggerated response to a scandalous "almost naked party" attended by wealthy Muscovites. These affluent individuals had faced criticism for indulging in lavish festivities while many young Russian lives were being lost in the trenches of eastern Ukraine due to Putin's disastrous "special military operation."
Reportedly, Putin was shown incriminating images from the event, and even he could perceive the severity of the situation. The nightclub was closed down, and a military summons was issued for the rapper Nikolai Vasilyev, who had attended the party wearing a sock over his genitals. During the court video conference, Navalny quipped to the prison officers, "Did you have a party? You probably had a naked party," implying their involvement. Even the judge laughed at the remark. Although seemingly insignificant, Putin likely saw it differently. Once again, despite everything Putin had done to him, the irrepressible Navalny was poking fun at his expense. Navalny defiantly had the last laugh.
And so, the wretched Putin decided to ensure that it would be Navalny's final laugh.
Can we truly ascertain that this is what transpired? Given the long list of sudden deaths among Putin's opponents and critics, only one thing appears certain: the complete, unadulterated, ugly truth will not be revealed until, at the earliest, this tyrant is overthrown or meets his own demise.
Last year, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group who had threatened mutiny, was killed in an aerial attack—yet another prominent victim among those targeted by Putin. In Britain alone, there have been actual or attempted regime-sponsored assassinations, including Alexander Lit