On February 16, 2024, Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic Circle jail, according to the prison service. Navalny, 47, was serving a 19-year jail term on charges widely considered to be politically motivated. He was moved to one of Russia’s toughest penal colonies late last year. The prison service in the Yamalo-Nenets district said that Navalny had “felt unwell” after a walk on Friday and had “almost immediately lost consciousness.” Despite the efforts of an emergency medical team to resuscitate him, Navalny was pronounced dead. The cause of death is being established.
Navalny, who was President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critic, was last seen in a court hearing via video link, looking well and laughing just a day before his death. His death prompted responses from the international community, with many hailing his courage in standing up to the Russian regime.
Navalny’s death comes after a long history of opposition to Putin’s rule, with the leader having been the target of a poisoning attempt in 2020 and numerous legal challenges from the Russian government. His death leaves Putin standing unchallenged by any significant opposition in the upcoming presidential election.
Russian human rights activists and journalists have criticized the treatment Navalny received in prison, pointing to the numerous instances of solitary confinement he endured and the detrimental effects it had on his health.
Navalny, who had long sought to challenge Putin at the ballot box, was banned from running in the 2018 presidential election. His death marks the loss of a significant figure in opposition to Putin’s regime.
In summary, Russia’s most significant opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has died in prison, prompting international responses and raising concerns about the state of opposition to Vladimir Putin’s rule.
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