Welcome to The Documentary from the BBC World Service.

I'm Stephen Sacker, host of the BBC's Hard Talk podcast, with in-depth, hard-hitting interviews with newsmakers from around the world.

Welcome to Hard Talk from the BBC World Service with me, Stephen Sacker.

Today's is a special program, remembering some of the

past hard-talk guests who died in 2024. All of them made a significant impact on the world around

them, whether it be in politics, civil society activism, or in culture. Let's start with Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption

campaigner and Russia's most prominent opposition leader who was targeted for assassination several

times. He miraculously survived poisoning with deadly Novichok nerve agent in 2020. Having recuperated in Germany,

he returned to Russia, where he was swiftly convicted and imprisoned in the harshest of conditions.

His death was announced on February the 16th this year. Back in 2017, I spoke to him in his Moscow office as he made

plans to run against Vladimir Putin. I'm not a naive person. I understand that Kremlin is very

unhappy with me running and I understand that they will do everything to prevent me from running.

And recently several Kremlin's officials said that he's not allowed to participate, but still

I am going to appeal to the people and ask for them support. And I do believe that people's support

can prevail the strategy, what kind of strategy Putin has against me.

Boris Nemtsov, whom you knew very well,

was walking down a street,

just a couple of hundred meters from the Kremlin

when he was murdered.

That is the reality of Moscow today.

You're not immune from that.

In this particular room, we have meeting with him and with the volunteers.

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