Via Radio Free Europe, the courage Alexei Navalny displays in this speech in court is breathtaking:

MUST WATCH: #Navalny’s speech from court.

This kind of bravery in the face of a violent regime that has already tried to murder you is inspiring.

Having survived one attempt on his life, he appears to have lost all fear, and grows stronger. pic.twitter.com/4CFiiQFCgL

— James Holland (@James7Holland) February 2, 2021

The Week provides some highlights and background:

Navalny began by the speech, which Meduza translated into English, by arguing he is on trial for a fabricated, seven-year-old embezzlement case, and that the real reason he was detained upon returning to Moscow from Berlin last month is Putin’s “hatred and fear” because “I mortally offended him by surviving.” Navalny added that he didn’t “run and hide” after the poisoning and ultimately went on to prove Putin was responsible for the murder attempt (the Kremlin denies any involvement.) As a result, Navalny said, Putin is “simply going insane” while he hides in a bunker.

“Murder is the only way [Putin] knows how to fight. He’ll go down in history as nothing but a poisoner. We all remember Alexander the Liberator and Yaroslav the Wise. Well, now we’ll have Vladimir the Underpants Poisoner,” Navalny continued, referring to the fact that he may have been exposed to the nerve agent through his underpants.