In the Arctic Circle prison where he was serving a 19-year sentence, he died today the number 1 Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalnyaccording to the Russian Penitentiary Authorities.

In a statement, the federal penitentiary service states that the only 47-year-old Navalny felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness.

“On February 16, 2024, in the prison center No. 3, the prisoner Navalny A. A. felt unwell after a walk (…) the causes of his death are under investigation,” the announcement of the Russian prison services states.

“All necessary resuscitation methods were applied, but they did not work. Emergency doctors pronounced the patient dead…”

Who is Alexei Navalny?

Born to factory owners in a village west of Moscow, Alexei Navalny grew up to become perhaps Vladimir Putin’s biggest critic.

His political activism, including extensive investigations into high-level corruption and a run for mayor of Moscow, made him a household name and many believed he posed a threat to Mr Putin.

It was in August 2020 when his fight against the Russian president made global headlines.

He fell seriously ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and Mr Navalny was flown, still in a coma, to Berlin.

His team accused the Kremlin of poisoning him, a charge the Kremlin denied.

German doctors confirmed he had been poisoned with novichok – a Soviet-era nerve agent – and his recovery took months.

Despite the risk, Mr Navalny chose to return to Russia where he was later arrested, convicted on what he said were politically motivated charges and remained in Russian prisons until his death today.

Arctic prison action

Alexei Navalny, 47, was serving a 19-year sentence for “extremist activity” in an Arctic prison under harsh conditions. his chain trials and conditions of detention were seen as ways of punishing him for his opposition to Vladimir Putin and his circle.

During his trials in recent months, which he attended via video conference, Alexei Navalny appeared emaciated and aged. He suffered from health problems linked to his prison hunger strike and attempted assassination by poisoning in 2020.

Imprisonment had not dampened his determination. During the hearings and in the messages posted on social media by the advocates, Navalny did not stop to denounce Vladimir Putin, the “grandfather hidden in the bunker”.

In his trial for “extremist action” he denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “the most stupid and senseless war of the 21st century.

In his messages on the Internet he refers ironically to the intimidation reserved for him by the prison authorities.

In a February 1 message released by his team on social media, Alexei Navalny called for demonstrations across Russia ahead of the March 15-17 presidential election, which Putin is certain to win after all opposition figures have been assassinated, jailed or forced into exile, while the suppression of any dissenting voice continues.

Kremlin: Putin briefed – We are investigating

The Russian president Vladimir Putin informed of his death Alexei Navalnyas reported a while ago by the state news agency TASS, while the representative of the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian prison authorities are proceeding with all the necessary checks regarding the death of the imprisoned dissident, but he has no information on the matter.

Navalny Associates: We are unable to confirm the news

On her part, representative of the Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, Kira Jarmis, wrote to X that he is unable to confirm his death, which was announced a while ago by Russian prison authorities.

Jarmis wrote that Navalny’s lawyer travels to the Arctic Circle prison where Navalny was held serving a 19-year sentence.

He made the same statement as Jarmis Navalny’s assistant: “Russian authorities release a confession that they killed Alexei Navalny in prison. We have no way of confirming or disproving this.”Leonid Volkov wrote in X.

“We have no basis to believe the state propaganda”Volkov wrote, adding that “if the news is true, then Putin is the one who killed Navalny”.

Russian authorities publish a confession that they killed Alexey Navalny in prison.

We do not have any way to confirm it or to prove this isn’t true.

Navalny’s lawyer is on the way to Harp.

— Leonid Volkov (@leonidvolkov) February 16, 2024