14% of Russians approve of Alexei Navalny’s activities, 60% disapprove. 82% of respondents know about the court decision, according to which the politician was sentenced for 2.5 years in prison. The largest share (38%) of those who consider this decision unfair is represented in the 18-24 age group. 31% of respondents believe that the new trial against Navalny was launched because “the government is settling scores with its political opponent,” 44% – that “Navalny is being tried for violating the law, and this has nothing to do with his political activities.” 23% of Russians rather support the inclusion of Navalny and his entourage in the list of terrorists and extremists, 31% rather do not support, while the share of the indifferent is 38%.
Compared to July 2021, the level of approval of Alexei Navalny’s activities has hardly changed: 14% approve, 60% disapprove, another 14% do not know Alexei Navalny or have not heard of him.
The greatest support for Navalny’s activities is expressed by representatives of the 18-24 age group: among them, a quarter (25%) approve of his activities, 46% disapprove. In the groups of 25-39 and 40-54 years, 20% and 11% approve of Navalny’s activities, 57% and 66% disapprove, respectively. The lowest level of support for Navalny is noted among representatives of the group of 55 years and older: 10% approve, 63% disapprove.
44% of respondents consider the court decision against Navalny rather fair, 27% – rather unfair. In March 2021, when the trial against Alexei Navalny ended, 48% of respondents considered the decision rather fair, 29% rather unfair.
Among all respondents, a third (31%) believe that a new trial against Alexei Navalny was launched because “the authorities are settling scores with their political opponent,” 44% hold the opinion that “Navalny is being tried for violating the law, and this has nothing to do with his political activities.”
Among the age groups of 18-24 and 25-39, the proportion of respondents holding one of these two opinions is approximately equal: 40% and 39% hold the first opinion, 38% and 36% – the second. Among Russians aged 40-54, 29% believe that the new trial began in connection with his political activities, 45% – that Navalny is being tried only for violating the law. In the group of 55 years and older, 23% support the first opinion, half – the second.
METHODOLOGY
The survey by the Levada Center was conducted January 17 – February 21, among a representative sample of all Russian urban and rural residents. The sample was comprised of 1626 people aged 18 or older in 137 municipalities of 50 regions of the Russian Federation. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The answer distribution is presented as percentages of the total number of participants along with data from previous surveys.
The statistical error of these studies for a sample of 1600 people (with a probability of 0.95) does not exceed:
3.4% for indicators around 50%
2.9% for indicators around 25%/75%
2.0% for indicators around 10%/90%
1.5% for indicators around 5%/95%
Navalny is included in the registry of terrorists and extremists.
The ANO Levada Center is included in the registry of non-commercial organizations acting as foreign agents.