Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died on Friday after collapsing and losing consciousness in the penal colony of the Arctic Circle where he was serving a long sentence, the Russian penitentiary service reported.
Navalny, by far Russia’s most famous opposition leader, rose to prominence more than a decade ago by ridiculing President Vladimir Putin’s elite and exposing large-scale corruption. He was 47 years old.
The Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District said in a statement that Navalny “felt unwell” after a walk through the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp, about 1,900 kilometers northeast of Moscow.
According to the prison service, Navalny lost consciousness almost immediately.
“The institution’s medical staff responded immediately and an ambulance was called,” the prison service said.
“All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, which did not give positive results. The ambulance doctors confirmed the death of the prisoner.” “The causes of death are being established.”
Putin has been informed of Navalny’s death, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Who was Alexei Navalny?
Navalny won the admiration of Russia’s scattered opposition for voluntarily returning to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated for what Western laboratory tests showed was an attempt to poison him.
Navalny then said he had been poisoned in Siberia in August 2020. The Kremlin denied trying to kill him and said there was no evidence of poisoning.
Source: Ambito
