Canadian director Daniel Roher won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film for Navalny, which examined Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s poisoning. .“I would like to dedicate this award to Navalny, to all political prisoners around the world,” said Roher in a Sunday video. .“Alexei, the world has not forgotten your vital message to us all: We cannot, we must not be afraid to oppose dictators and authoritarianism wherever it rears its head.” .The video starts off with Roher thanking the Oscars for the award. He said he was humbled to be in the company of a group of extraordinary documentary filmmakers. .The director went on to say he was thankful to every one who helped make Navalny. He said their courage made this movie possible. .Roher praised Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev. He said Grozev “risked everything to tell this story, and it’s investigate journalists like you and Maria Pevchikh that empower our work.” .After thanking the journalists, he turns to Navalny’s family and acknowledged them. He said the one person who could not be at the Oscars onstage with him is Navalny. .“Alexei Navalny remains in solitary confinement for what he calls — I want to make sure we get his words exactly right — Vladimir Putin’s unjust war of aggression in Ukraine,” he said. .He invited Navalny’s wife Yulia to make some remarks. Yulia thanked the attendees and him. .She said her husband is “in prison just for telling the truth.” She added he is imprisoned for defending democracy. .“Alexei, I am dreaming of the day when you will be free and our country will be free,” she said. .“Stay strong, my love.”.Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent and hospitalized in serious condition in 2020. .He was evacuated to Germany for medical treatment. He blamed Putin for being behind the poisoning. .Upon returning from Germany to Russia, he was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport. He was ordered to spend two-and-a-half years at a prison colony.
