“I’m proud to accept the M100 Media Award not only on Alexei’s behalf, but on behalf of the whole team — several hundred young (well, mostly young) people, not only in Moscow but all over Russia’s eleven time zones, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, who were campaigning for Alexey and with Alexey, running in local elections, supporting local activism, investigating their local thiefs and crooks, inspired by Alexey Navalny”, said Leonid Volkov on the occasion of the presentation of the M100 Media Award to Alexei Nawalny and his anti-corruption foundation FBK, which he received on the evening of 6 October 2021 in place of the imprisoned opposition leader from the hands of Potsdam’s Lord Mayor Mike Schubert and Christian Lindner, Party leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), in the Palace Theatre of the Neues Palais in Potsdam. “And they continue. We continue. We are not defeated; in fact, we are as sure we’ll overcome as we never were before. And then there is a second important thing, which comes along with this award only. This is a Press Prize, awarded for journalism. Alexey Navalny is a politician, who was running for Mayor of Moscow and for President of Russia; he’s a freedom fighter, who was poisoned and jailed; a party leader, who has built a strong political force, which just won over a hundred seats in regional elections. But, indeed, his main lifetime achievement, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, is first of all things a body of investigative journalism.
It is through journalism, through written and oral word, through telling stories, how Alexey Navalny became who he is, Putin’s main rival and Enemy of the State number one. And in this capability he actually shares the fate of so many journalists all over the world being prosecuted for telling the truth.”
Please read the entire speech here.
