Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday, the Élysée Palace said in a statement.
During the meeting, Macron expressed his condolences to Navalnaya for her husband’s “unjustifiable” death in an Arctic penal colony in February and paid tribute to the “courage with which he led his life during his fights against corruption and for freedom of expression”, the Élysée said.
The pair also discussed the continuing work of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was founded by Navalny, the statement continued, with Macron “reaffirming France's support for all those who defend human rights”.
Posting a photograph of herself and Macron, Navalnaya said that they had discussed “how France can help civil society in Russia and beyond in the fight against Putin and his dictatorship”, adding that she was grateful to Macron “for understanding that there are many people in Russia who are against the war”.