Currently, Russia is conducting an aggressive war in Ukraine, and within the country, full-scale repressions are underway against the democratic opposition. A few weeks ago, Alexey Navalny, Putin’s most famous critic, was killed in prison. It seems that the Soviet Union has not only returned but has become stronger, as for 30 years the West has helped the Russian economy to enter the global market and opened the door to Europe. Is this really the case? And is there light at the end of the tunnel? How much longer can Putin’s regime last, and what can help Russia become a democratic country? Lawyer and well-known anti-war Russian politician, close associate of Alexey Navalny, Lyubov Sobol, will share her thoughts on these topics. Conversation moderated by Konstantin Sonin (Harris School of Public Policy).
Lyubov Sobol is a Russian political and public figure. She consistently advocates for the democratization of Russia and opposes Putin’s policies. She conducted journalistic investigations into corruption in Russia while serving as a lawyer for Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation. Currently, she leads anti-propaganda projects on YouTube, attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers. In 2023, Sobol was a Senior Fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).
Presented by CEERES, the International House Global Voices Program, the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights, the Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression, and the Chicago Center on Democracy.