Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, 47, died suddenly this Friday, February 16, in a maximum security prison located in the Arctic Circle.
The news was confirmed by the prison service of the Yamalo-Nenets region, through an official statement, in which it was reported that the political prisoner was taking a “walk” inside penitentiary center No.3 when the death occurred.
“The necessary resuscitation procedures were performed, which did not give any results. Emergency doctors confirmed the death of the condemned man. The causes of death are being established,” the statement said.
Navalny had been transferred to this prison to serve a 19-year prison sentence for the crime of “extremism.” The IK-3 penal colony, nicknamed “Polar Wolf”, is intended for the most dangerous criminals, and is considered one of the most distant prisons from civilization in all of Russia.
For its part, the Kremlin declared it had no information about the circumstances of the death. The spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, said that prison doctors will issue a report on the death, and that President Vladimir Putin is already aware of the fact.
Navalny, known for being the main opponent of the current president of Russia and for his fight against corruption in the European nation, had already survived a poisoning in August 2020, attributed to Russian intelligence.
🇷🇺🇬🇪 Pro-Western Russians demonstrate in Tblis, #Georgia for the death of Alexei Navalny.
“It is not death, it is murder”; the protesters shout. pic.twitter.com/HPZ7eKszce
— Angel Cordero (@GuarimberoDigit) February 16, 2024
Even from prison, where he had been placed since the beginning of 2021, he continued with his activist work, and on December 7, he asked to vote against Putin in the presidential elections scheduled for March 17.
However, a week ago, the Russian Electoral Commission rejected the candidacy of Boris Nadezhdin, the president’s main opponent in this electoral process.
The death of the opposition leader led Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s wife, to make a strong public statement during the Munich Security Conference, where she blamed Putin for her husband’s death.
“We cannot believe Putin and his government, who are constantly lying. They will be brought to justice and punished for what they have done. That day will come soon,” Navalnaya said.
Navalny’s death caused a wave of protests in Russia, especially in the capital, Moscow, which were quickly quelled by Russian security forces, with at least 340 detained since Friday afternoon.
Another 15 people were arrested for leaving flowers at a monument in memory of Alexei Navalny.
At least 200 people have been arrested since the protests began yesterday
pic.twitter.com/wNUkgnXZ2Y— Javi🇨🇺 (@JaviXCubaLibre2) February 17, 2024
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