Putin’s Critic/Opposition Leader, Alexei Navalny Dies Mysteriously in Russian Prison 

Russia’s prominent opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, known as the most significant critic of President Vladimir Putin, has passed away in an Arctic Circle jail. Navalny, who was serving a 19-year sentence on widely contested extremism charges, died in one of Russia’s toughest penal colonies, as confirmed by the prison service in the Yamalo-Nenets district.

According to reports from the prison service, Navalny fell ill after a walk on February 16, 2024. Despite the immediate intervention of an emergency medical team, Navalny could not be revived.

The prison service stated, “All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, but they did not yield positive results. Emergency medical doctors confirmed the death of the convict.”

Navalny’s death adds to the growing list of mysterious deaths among Putin’s critics, raising concerns and skepticism about the circumstances surrounding such incidents. His close aide, Leonid Volkov, expressed doubt, stating that the prison authorities’ statement amounted to a confession that they had killed him.

The prison service reported that Navalny had felt unwell after a walk and almost immediately lost consciousness. Despite the immediate efforts of an emergency medical team, they could not resuscitate him. The cause of death is currently being established.

Navalny’s wife, Yulia, has appealed to the international community to hold the regime accountable, and one of his closest allies, Ivan Zhdanov, suggested that it was “highly likely” Navalny had been killed.

Navalny hale and hearty at his last court hearing on Feb12.

International reactions to Navalny’s death have been swift. France stated that he paid with his life for resisting Russian “oppression,” while Norway’s foreign minister noted that Russian authorities bore great responsibility for his death. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised the weakness in Putin’s system and held Russia responsible for Navalny’s death.

The circumstances surrounding Navalny’s demise raise questions about political repression and the safety of opposition figures in Russia. The unfortunate event adds to the list of mysterious deaths among Putin’s critics since the start of Ukraine’s war in February 2022. Notable figures like Yevgeny Prigozhin and Ravil Maganov have also died under suspicious circumstances.

Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group mercenaries, perished in a private jet crash in the Tver region on August 24, 2023, while Maganov, the chairman of the board of Russia’s second-largest oil producer Lukoil, passed away in 2022 after openly criticising the war in Ukraine. The international community watches closely as Navalny’s death marks a significant moment in the ongoing struggle for political freedom and human rights in Russia.

Read more: Biden, the West Pin Alexei Navalny’s Death on Putin

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