Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died, according to information from the penitentiary service of the Yamalo-Nenets region, where he was serving a prison sentence after participating in protests against Vladimir Putin’s government.
According to a statement published on its website, the prison service reported that Navalny “felt unwell” after a walk this Friday (16) and “almost immediately lost consciousness”. The medical team was called, but they were unable to revive Navalny. According to the corporation, the reason for the death is being investigated, the Reuters.
Navalny, an outspoken critic of the Russian president, has been imprisoned since 2021, accused of founding and financing an extremist organization, and was serving an additional 19-year prison sentence. He had previously been sentenced to nine years for violating probation, fraud and contempt of court.
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Although authorities officially announced the death, Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokeswoman, said his team had not yet received confirmation. The activist’s lawyer traveled to Siberia to find out more details, the BBC reported, citing Russian media.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian prison service was carrying out all checks into Navalny’s death, but said he had no further information on the matter.
The Guardian recalls that Navalny was last seen in a video call made in January, joking about his prison outfit in the Arctic penal colony, where he had been transferred a month earlier.
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The IK-3 colony, nicknamed the “Polar Wolf”, aimed at violent criminals, is located in the city of Kharp, around 1,900 kilometers from Moscow and is seen as one of the toughest prisons in Russia.
In his last statement to journalists on the video call, Navalny appeared in a good mood, joking that he had not yet received any Christmas correspondence, as he was “too far away”.
(Com Reuters)