Alexei Navalny, long seen as the most significant political opponent to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has died in prison, the federal prison service announced on Friday.
Navalny was held in a high security prison in Yamal near the Arctic Circle. He was 47 years old.
“On February 16, 2024, in Penal Colony No. 3, the convict Alexei Navalny felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness, according to representatives of the department,” the statement from the Yamal directorate of the federal penitentiary service said.
“Medical personnel from the institution arrived promptly, and an ambulance crew was called. All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, but unfortunately, they did not yield positive results. The emergency medical team pronounced the convict dead. The cause of death is being investigated,” the statement added.
For years, Navalny has been the most prominent opposition figure in Russia.
With the Kremlin cracking down on all forms of dissent, Navalny was seen as the only person still capable of mobilizing Russians to participate in organized protest against the Kremlin.
In August 2020 he went into a coma after suffering a poison attack with the nerve agent Novichok in what his supporters say was a state-sponsored attempt to kill him.
But Navalny survived and, after receiving treatment in Germany, returned to Russia in 2021.
Upon arrival at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, he was immediately arrested and had been behind bars ever since
Putin was informed about Navalny’s death, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“As far as we know, the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) is currently handling all the existing rules, conducting investigations, and so on. There’s no need for any specific instructions because there are certain regulations that the FSIN is currently following,” he added.
Peskov said he didn’t have any information about the cause of death. “The medical staff should investigate somehow,” he said.
Navalny’s close ally Leonid Volkov wrote on Telegram said he had no independent confirmation of the death. “As soon as we have any information, we’ll announce it,” he said.