Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died on Friday after collapsing and losing consciousness at the penal colony where he was serving a long jail term.
The Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District stated that Navalny felt unwell after a walk at the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp, located northeast of Moscow.
Despite immediate medical attention and resuscitation efforts, Navalny did not recover, and the prison service confirmed his death.
The exact cause of death is still being determined. Navalny, known for his criticism of the Russian elite and President Vladimir Putin, rose to prominence over a decade ago for his allegations of widespread corruption.
His death comes after his return to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated for poisoning with a nerve agent, an incident that he attributed to the Russian government, though the Kremlin denied involvement.
According to the news report by The Guardian,
Russian newspaper editor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov characterized the death of Alexei Navalny as “murder,” suggesting that the conditions in prison may have contributed to his demise.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has initiated a procedural investigation into Navalny’s death, indicating official attention to the matter.
Navalny’s chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, suggested that the statement from the prison service could be interpreted as a “confession” of deliberately killing Navalny, although Navalny’s team has yet to verify this information.
