Putin’s number one critic Alexei Navalny dies in prison

Navalny was seen as the person that Russian president feared the most.

Feb 16, 2024 - 13:00
0 10
Putin’s number one critic Alexei Navalny dies in prison
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in ‘special regime’ penal colony (Picture: Reuters)
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in ‘special regime’ penal colony (Picture: Reuters)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in prison in what is likely to be seen as a political assassination with roots as deep as the Kremlin.

The 47-year-old was one of Vladimir Putin’s most persistent critics and was seen as the person that Russian president feared the most.

He became a thorn in the leader’s eyes in his crusade against official corruption in Moscow until he was jailed.

Navalny had been sentenced to 19 years behind bars in August after being found guilty of creating an extremist community, financing extremist activities and other crimes.

In December, he was moved from his former prison in the Vladimir region to a ‘special regime’ penal colony – the highest security level of prisons in the country.

The cause of death of the imprisoned politician was initially given as a ‘detached blood clot’.

FILE - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny looks at photographers from inside a glass cage in the Babuskinsky District Court in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 20, 2021. Imprisoned opposition leader??Alexei Navalny??has been handed new charges by Russian prosecutors. The 47-year-old is already serving more than 30 years in prison after being found guilty of crimes including extremism ??? charges that his supporters characterize as politically motivated. In comments passed to his associates, Navalny said he had been charged under article 214 of Russia???s penal code, which covers crimes of vandalism (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
Navalnywas jailed to 19 years in prison (Picture: AP)

The Federal Prison Service said in a statement that he felt unwell after a walk on Friday and lost consciousness.

An ambulance arrived to try to rehabilitate him, but without success and he died.

His team said they have not been told of his death. His lawyer is now flying to the jail.

Asked about Navalny’s death, Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: ‘As far as we know, in line with all the existing rules, the FSIN [prison service] are running all the checks and establishing… all of that.

FILE PHOTO: Anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny speaks with journalists as he leaves a police station on the day of his discharge in Moscow, December 21, 2011. Navalny was arrested at an opposition protest in Moscow on December 5. REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov/File Photo
Navalny speaking with journalists in Moscow in December 2011 (Picture: Reuters)

‘No orders are needed for that because there is a certain set of rules for these occasions.’

Asked if it was true there was a blood clot, he added: “I don’t know, I don’t know… The medics should establish.’

This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.