Russia: President Putin's critic Navalny (47) dies in jail
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is dead, the prison service of the Yamalo-Nenets region where he had been serving his sentence said on Friday. Earlier in December, Navalny was moved to the IK-3 penal colony, nicknamed "Polar Wolf," in the northern town of Kharp, 1,900 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Navalny, 47, was one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most vocal and persistent critics.
Statement from Russia's federal penitentiary service
Confirming the death, Russia's federal penitentiary services released a statement, saying, "Navalny felt bad after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness. Medical staff arrived immediately and an ambulance team was called." "Resuscitation measures were carried out which did not yield positive results," the statement added. "Paramedics confirmed the death of the convict. The causes of death are being established," it said.
Navalny was jailed in Artic penal colony
"Polar Wolf" is considered one of the toughest prisons in Russia, where most detainees who are held are convicted of serious crimes. Last year, in his first public appearance in a video call from the Arctic penal colony, Navalny appeared to be in good spirits. He joked that he was yet to receive any Christmas mail due to being "quite far away."
His political career peaked in 2013
Navalny rose to prominence over a decade ago through his satirical criticism of the elite class around President Putin and his voicing of allegations of corruption on a vast scale. His political career peaked in 2013, when he received 27% of the vote in a Moscow mayoral election that few considered free or fair. For years, he remained a thorn in the Kremlin's eyes.
Navalny was poisoned with lethal nerve agent Novichok
In 2020, Navalny was rushed to Germany for treatment after being allegedly poisoned with Novichok nerve agent by Russia's Federal Security Service. He recuperated and returned to Russia in January 2021. When he returned, he was arrested for a parole violation and sentenced to the first of multiple jail stints that would total more than 30 years in prison.