Alexei Navalny has died
Steph Deschamps /. February 17, 2024
Alexei Navalny died in penal colony No. 3 of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug", the regional department of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service reported on Friday.
"On February 16 this year, in penal colony No. 3, convict Navalny A.A. felt unwell after a walk, losing consciousness almost immediately. The facility's medical staff immediately arrived and an emergency medical team was called in," the statement said.
"All necessary resuscitation measures were taken, but did not yield positive results. Emergency doctors have confirmed the death of the condemned man. The causes of death are currently being established", adds the press release.
The news of Navalny's death was confirmed on X/Twitter by Kira Iarmych, Alexei Navalny's spokeswoman, without commenting on the reasons given by the Russian authorities to explain Navalny's death.
Navalny's staff have reportedly already contacted the Yamal Federal Penitentiary Service and the regional Investigative Committee. The former replied that information on the death was still being "verified", while the latter hung up on him.
The first reports circulating in the Russian media, close to the government, were of a blood clot having caused a cardiovascular accident. For their part, several websites close to the Russian opposition leader posted images from yesterday, February 15, showing a smiling, fit Navalny at a video hearing in Kovrov court.
Navalny, a fervent opponent of Vladimir Putin and an anti-corruption campaigner, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for "extremism" in 2023. According to the verdict for "extremism", Navalny was to serve his sentence in a "special regime" colony, the category of establishments with the harshest prison conditions, usually reserved for lifers and the most dangerous inmates. For this reason, he was transferred to the Okrug prison colony no. 3.
Following this judgment, he called on Russians to continue "resisting" the Kremlin. "You are being forced to abandon your Russia without a fight to the band of traitors, thieves and scoundrels who have seized power. (Vladimir) Putin must not achieve his goal. Don't lose the will to resist," Navalny wrote, according to a message posted on his Facebook page by his team.