The leading figure of the Russian opposition, a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin breathed his last today, inside a prison in the Arctic Circle.

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 N ° 3, the prisoner Navalny A. A. felt unwell after a walk (…) the causes of his death are under investigation,” the statement of the Russian prison services states.

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

His action

47-year-old Alexei Navalny was serving a 19-year sentence for “extremist activity” in a prison in the Arctic under very adverse 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.

International reactions

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today that if reports of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny’s death in prison are true, it highlights the “weakness and rot” of the system built by President Vladimir Putin.

“First and foremost, if these reports are accurate, our thoughts are with his wife and family,” Blinken said from Munich.

“Furthermore, his death in a Russian prison and the psychosis and fear of a man show the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built. Russia is responsible for this,” added the head of American diplomacy.

For his part, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington is seeking confirmation of Navalny’s death.

“If confirmed, it’s a terrible tragedy,” Sullivan told NPR.

Von der Leyen

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen referred to the death of Alexei Navalny as a “grim reminder of what Putin and his regime are”.

“Deeply upset and saddened by the news of the death of Alexei Navalny. Putin fears nothing more than dissent from his own people. A grim reminder of what Putin and his regime are. Let’s unite in our fight to protect the freedom and safety of those who dare to resist autocracy,” said Ursula von der Leyen in a post on the X platform.

Charles Michel

“Alexei Navalny fought for the values ​​of freedom and democracy. For his ideals, he made the ultimate sacrifice,” says European Council President Charles Michel in a post on Platform X, in which he emphasizes that “the EU holds the Russian regime solely responsible for this tragic death.”

“My deepest condolences to his family. And to those who fight for democracy around the world in the darkest of circumstances,” he adds.

Finally, Charles Michel notes that “fighters die. But the fight for freedom never ends.”

Soltz

“Russia has not been a democracy for a long time (…) Navalny probably paid for his courage with his life,” Chancellor Olaf Solz said, referring to reports of the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, which he however clarified that they have not been absolutely confirmed.

During the joint press conference he is giving this time with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Solz expressed his sadness at the news and spoke of a terrible event. He recalled that Alexei Navalny had been hospitalized in Berlin after poisoning and had the courage to return to Russia afterwards. “Now he probably paid for this courage with his life,” the chancellor added, noting: “Now we know exactly what kind of regime is in power in Moscow. Russia has long ceased to be a democracy.”

Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael Roth commented that “Putin is acting like a mafia godfather, in the tradition of Stalin: every now and then a hit-and-run to intimidate critical minds who question his omnipotence.” Russia is “a typical dictatorship,” Mr. Roth wrote in a post on the “X” platform.

France

Imprisoned Russian dissident Alexei Navalny paid with his life for “his resistance to a system of oppression”, French Foreign Minister Stephane Cezournet said today in his comments on the death of the famous Russian dissident.

“His death in prison reminds us of the reality of Vladimir Putin’s regime,” the French minister added.

Norway

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Bart Eide wrote on social networking site X that “the Russian government bears heavy responsibility” for the death of Navalny, who was serving a 19-year sentence in an Arctic penal colony.

Latvia

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics wrote on Platform X that Navalny was “brutally murdered by the Kremlin”.

“Whatever one thinks of Alexei Navalny as a politician, he was just brutally murdered by the Kremlin. This is a fact and this is something one should know about the true nature of Russia’s current regime. My condolences to the family and friends,” the Latvian president wrote.

Spain

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez said today that he is “deeply shocked by the death of Alexei Navalny” and added that Madrid “demands that the circumstances” of this death be clarified.

In his post on the X social network, Albares underlined that this death “occurred during his unjust imprisonment for political reasons”, while he addressed his condolences to his “relatives” and “his support to those who work for the freedom”.

Poland

Russian President Vladimir Putin is “responsible” for the death of Navalny, the head of Polish diplomacy said today.

“This man was guilty of defying Vladimir Putin (…) He was locked up in prison, where he lived in horrible conditions. Vladimir Putin is responsible for all this,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Polish news agency PAP.

Zelensky: Navalny was murdered by Putin, who must be held accountable

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the death of dissident Alexei Navalny and demanded he be held accountable.

“Obviously Navalny was murdered by Putin, like so many thousands of others. Putin doesn’t care who dies and tries to keep his position. He must be held accountable for his crimes,” Mr. Zelensky said at a joint press conference with Chancellor Olaf Solz in Berlin.