By Guy Faulconbridge and Moscow Russia's most prominent opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, remains steadfast in his belief that President Vladimir Putin's regime will eventually crumble, along with the post-Soviet elite, which he accuses of being venal, power-hungry, and duplicitous. Navalny, who has been sentenced to remain in jail until he is 74, has repeatedly warned that Putin's Russia is a state run by thieves and criminals and foresees a seismic change via revolt at some point in the future.

The 47-year-old former lawyer, known for challenging Putin's elite and exposing grand corruption, is currently incarcerated in a facility about 60 km (40 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. His movement has been outlawed, and most of his key supporters have fled abroad. Despite facing disillusionment from some fellow prisoners over his decision to return to Russia from Germany in 2021 after surviving an apparent poisoning attempt with a nerve agent, Navalny remains unwavering in his commitment to his country and his convictions.

Navalny's return to Russia earned him admiration from the divided Russian opposition, but it also landed him behind bars. He continues to assert that Putin's state is not viable and will ultimately crumble, even as Russian authorities dismiss his criticism as nonsense and dismiss him and his supporters as extremists with links to the U.S. CIA. While many of Navalny's predictions for Putin's political demise have been proven wrong, he remains resolute in his belief in the potential for change and the power of standing up for one's beliefs, even in the face of adversity.