The widow of Alexei Navalny vowed to hold Vladimir Putin accountable, but her account was briefly taken down before being reinstated after global outcry.
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, had her newly created account on X (formerly known as Twitter) briefly suspended this week, sparking a wave of criticism. The suspension occurred just a few days after the announcement of her husband’s death. She had used the platform to pledge to continue her late husband’s campaign against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On Tuesday afternoon, her account disappeared, replaced by a message stating it had been suspended for violating X’s rules. However, the notice failed to specify which particular guidelines had been breached. A link to the platform’s rules was provided, highlighting its commitment to enabling “safe and free” public conversations while prohibiting harmful behaviour such as harassment or violent speech.
The last post on Yulia Navalnaya’s account before it was taken down showed a video of Alexei Navalny’s mother outside the penal colony where her son had died. The footage, which urged President Putin to release Navalny’s body, appeared shortly before the account was suspended.
After about an hour, Navalnaya’s account was restored, with all posts intact. Despite numerous requests for clarification, X did not respond immediately, offering only an automated message saying, “Busy now, please check back later.” Since acquiring Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk has dismissed the company’s press team and instead used his own account to announce policy changes and updates.
The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), established by Alexei Navalny, was among the many users demanding an explanation from Musk regarding the suspension. The FBK tweeted, “Hey Elon Musk! Please explain exactly which rules were violated by @yulia_navalnaya.”
Critics of the suspension, including supporters of free speech, pointed to Musk’s past statements on free speech as a core principle of democracy. Late last year, Musk tweeted, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy,” leading to further questions about the rationale behind blocking Navalnaya’s account.
