MELBOURNE – The Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria (AIIA VIC), in partnership with the Melbourne Press Club, is honoured to host Yulia Navalnaya on her first visit to Australia for an in-person conversation at 356 Collins Street on Thursday, 4 September 2025. Registration is available here.
This special event, held under the Chatham House Rule, offers a rare opportunity to hear from one of the most prominent figures in the global fight for democracy and human rights. Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has vowed to continue her late husband’s legacy, denouncing the lies and cruelty of Vladimir Putin’s regime while advocating for a free, democratic Russia.
Navalnaya has addressed audiences at the European Parliament, the Oslo Freedom Forum, the Munich Security Conference, and other leading global forums. She currently serves as Chair of the International Anti-Corruption Foundation Advisory Board and the Human Rights Foundation, and was recently shortlisted for TIME’s Person of the Year. Her courage and commitment have been recognised with the Sergei Magnitsky “Courage Under Fire” Award.
In Melbourne, she will appear in conversation with Peter Hartcher, political and international editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and a distinguished journalist whose award-winning career has spanned four decades of reporting on power, politics, and global affairs.
The programme will begin with refreshments from 12:15pm, followed by the conversation and Q&A session, closing remarks, and networking. Guests will also have the opportunity to purchase copies of Patriot by Alexei Navalny, which Navalnaya will sign.
“Yulia Navalnaya’s visit comes at a crucial moment for those concerned with the future of democracy and justice in Russia,” according to AIIA Victoria President Richard Iron CMG OBE. “Her voice, and her determination to carry forward the struggle for freedom, will resonate deeply with all who attend.”
Seats for this landmark event are limited, and registration is essential.
