Navalny’s daughter accepts his posthumous McCain Institute award for courage, leadership

The daughter of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Dasha Navalnaya, accepted a posthumous award from the McCain Institute Friday on her father’s behalf, according to the institute’s account on social platform X.

“My father was truly an extraordinarily courageous man. His resilience, passion, and dedication to a better Russia [was] unwavering,” Navalnaya said, according to a post from the McCain Institute’s account on X.

“The Courage & Leadership Award,” is given “each year to honor an individual who has stood unwaveringly for fundamental values and has inspired the world through acts of selfless courage,” according to a webpage on the McCain Institute’s website.

“By recognizing this service to humankind, the McCain Institute hopes to nurture the courage in each of us to stand for what we know is right,” the webpage on the award continues. “The recipient is selected based on his or her acts of personal courage on behalf of human rights, humanitarian compassion, justice, freedom, and human dignity.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has often been blamed for Navalny’s death that happened back in February, but a senior U.S. intelligence official told the Wall Street Journal last week Putin likely did not order the opposition leader’s death. Putin is still ultimately responsible for Navalny’s death, but likely wasn’t behind the timing or nature, the official told the Journal.

“The main difference between Putin and my father [is] that Alexei Navalny believed in basic human dignity,” Navalnaya said, according to another post from the McCain Institute on X.  

President Biden was among the many who blamed Putin for Navalny’s death, stating “Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death.”

“Putin is responsible,” Biden said. “What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin’s brutality. No one should be fooled.”