Russian Opposition Leader Reportedly Dies In Prison

Alexei Navalny, a prominent Kremlin critic and opposition leader, has reportedly died in an Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence.

He was 47.

“Navalny felt unwell after a walk Friday, according to the Federal Penitentiary Service, and lost consciousness,” the Associated Press reports.

Navalny’s cause of death reportedly is still “being established.”

Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokesperson, said they have no confirmation of his death.

“The Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is spreading the news of Alexey Navalny’s death in IK-3. We have no confirmation of this yet. Alexey’s lawyer is currently on his way to Kharp. As soon as we have some information, we will report on it,” Yarmysh said.

The Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is spreading the news of Alexey Navalny's death in IK-3. We have no confirmation of this yet. Alexey's lawyer is currently on his way to Kharp. As soon as we have some information, we will report on…

— Кира Ярмыш (@Kira_Yarmysh) February 16, 2024

From the Associated Press:

Navalny had been behind bars since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin. Since then, he received three prison sentences, all of which he rejected as politically motivated.

Praise for Navalny’s bravery poured in from Western leaders and others who have opposed Putin’s rule. The opposition leader’s health has deteriorated recently and the cause of death may never be known, but many world leaders said they held Russian authorities ultimately responsible for his death.

If confirmed, “his death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built. Russia is responsible for this,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said while at a conference in Germany.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Navalny “has probably now paid for this courage with his life.”

Standing at Scholz’s side, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — whose country is fending off Russian invasion — said: “Putin doesn’t care who dies in order for him to hold onto his position.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was informed of Navalny’s death. The opposition leader’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the team had no confirmation yet.

“The same politicians who are crying about Alexei Navalny had nothing at all to say about the death of American citizen Gonzalo Lira. Again, why should any American care about Alexei Navalny? We shouldn’t. We have more important issues to worry about here in the US, like J6ers,” investigative journalist Laura Loomer commented.

The same politicians who are crying about Alexei Navalny had nothing at all to say about the death of American citizen Gonzalo Lira.

Again, why should any American care about Alexei Navalny?

We shouldn’t.

We have more important issues to worry about here in the US, like J6ers.

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) February 16, 2024

“Biden’s admin has indicted the leader of the political opposition on bogus charges They want to to lock him up before the election They said nothing when Zelensky locked up a US citizen who died in prison They have zero moral standing today to say anything about Navalny,” Human Events Senior Editor Jack Posobiec said.

Biden’s admin has indicted the leader of the political opposition on bogus charges

They want to to lock him up before the election

They said nothing when Zelensky locked up a US citizen who died in prison

They have zero moral standing today to say anything about Navalny

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 16, 2024

BREAKING: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in prison, the country's state media reports.https://t.co/EVZjREgqHn pic.twitter.com/7AndrM3ZpM

— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 16, 2024

Per Fox News:

Navalny was being held at the IK-3 penal colony, also known as “Polar Wolf,” in Kharp in northern Russia, which is considered one of the country’s toughest prisons.

Previously, Russian authorities had held him at a facility roughly 145 miles east of Moscow. Navalny’s team lost contact with him after he failed to appear in court via video link for a hearing on Dec. 5, kicking off a desperate search until he resurfaced in Kharp around Christmas.

Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday that reports of Navalny’s death are “terrible news, which we are working to confirm.”

“My prayers are with his family, including his wife, Yulia, who is with us today. And if confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin’s brutality,” she continued. “Whatever story they tell, let us be clear: Russia is responsible. And we will have more to say on this later.”

“Alexei Navalny appeared in court via video link on Thursday, Feb. 15, a day before his reported death at a penal colony in northern Russia,” Fox News added.

Collin Rugg shared footage of Navalny:

NEW: Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in prison after he “felt unwell” after a walk “almost immediately losing consciousness.”

Just one day before his death, Navalny seemed fine as he gave testimony by video link.

In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a… pic.twitter.com/oMUvJkb8RS

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 16, 2024