Alexei Navalny was “brutally murdered by the Kremlin,” Latvia's president said, after Russia reported today that the jailed opposition leader had “collapsed and died.”
Russian news agencies announced Navalny's death – citing the Siberian prison service where he was serving his sentence – sparking shock and anger across Europe, with world leaders quick to point the finger at Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As Putin's harshest domestic critic, Navalny fought against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests – drawing the Kremlin's ire.
He once survived an assassination attempt using the nerve agent Novichok, but returned home after recovering, even though he knew he would be arrested.
After being sentenced to 19 years in prison for extremism, he served a prison sentence and was transferred in December from a prison in central Russia to a “special regime” penal colony called “Polar Wolf” above the Arctic Circle.
The 47-year-old was last seen via video link during a court hearing on Thursday. He seemed to be in a good mood and was laughing and joking in his cell.
But the Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement today that Navalny felt unwell and lost consciousness after a walk. An ambulance arrived to try to save him, but was unsuccessful.
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is dead, the prison authorities of the Yamal-Nenets region where he served his sentence said on Friday
Navalny, Vladimir Putin's harshest domestic critic, was serving time on extremism charges after being sentenced to 19 years in prison
Navalny, pictured with his wife Yulia in happier times, fought against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests – drawing the Kremlin's wrath
“On February 16, 2024, in Correctional Colony No. 3, convict Navalny AA felt unwell after a walk and almost immediately lost consciousness,” prison officials said in a statement. “Emergency doctors confirmed the death of the convict,” it said.
The Russian news agency reported that the rescue team reached the colony where Navalny was serving his sentence after seven minutes.
It took another two minutes to reach the patient, they said.
“The doctors who arrived at the scene continued the resuscitation measures already carried out by the doctors of the penal colony.” And they spent more than half an hour. “However, the patient died,” the local hospital said.
Navalny's spokeswoman said on the social media platform X that she could not confirm his death. Kira Yarmysh said that Navalny's lawyer traveled to the site of the prison where he served his sentence.
Leonid Volkov, a Navalny adviser, said: “The Federal Penitentiary Service in the Yamal-Nenets District is spreading news about the death of Alexei Navalny in IK-3.”
“We don’t have any confirmation on this yet.” Alexey’s lawyer is now flying to Kharp. As soon as we have information, we will report it.”
Russian news agency TASS reported that Navalny had not complained of health problems before his apparent death.
Putin had been informed of his rival's death, his spokesman confirmed.
Dmitry Peskov said: “As far as we know, the FSIN complies with all existing rules.” [prison service] carry out all the checks and determine… all of that. There is no need for an order for this, as there are certain rules for these occasions.”
Asked whether it was true that there had been a blood clot, he said: “I don't know, I don't know…” The medics should sort it out.'
In Putin's Russia, political opponents often disappeared due to factional disputes or went into exile after imprisonment, suspected poisonings or other severe repression.
But Navalny went from strength to strength, reaching the top of the opposition through courage, bravery and a keen understanding of how social media could circumvent the Kremlin's suppression of independent news outlets.
He met every setback – be it a physical attack or imprisonment – with intense devotion and faced danger with sardonic wit.
Reports of his death sparked shock and anger across Europe. The Latvian president said Navalny was “brutally murdered by the Kremlin.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid tribute to the “most zealous defender of Russian democracy” and said Navalny was a prominent and persistent critic of Putin who “demonstrated incredible courage throughout his life.”
The prime minister said: “This is terrible news.” As the fiercest defender of Russian democracy, Alexei Navalny demonstrated incredible courage throughout his life. “My thoughts are with his wife and the Russian people, for whom this is a great tragedy.”
Navalny is seen on a screen via video feed from a penal colony in the Vladimir region during a hearing at the Basmanny District Court in Moscow, Russia, April 26, 2023
A view of the entrance to the prison colony in the town of Charp in the Yamal-Nenetsk region, about 1,900 kilometers northeast of Moscow, Tuesday, January 23, 2024
France said the opposition leader had paid with his life for resisting “repression,” while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Navalny had “paid for his courage with his life.”
The EU said it blamed President Putin's Russia solely for the death.
“Alexei Navalny fought for the values of freedom and democracy. “He made the ultimate sacrifice for his ideals,” European Council President Charles Michel wrote on X. “The EU holds the Russian regime solely responsible for this tragic death.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was “obvious” that Navalny was killed by Putin. The Russian president doesn't care who lives or dies to maintain his position, he added.
Exiled Belarusian leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said: “This death is further proof that human life has no value to dictators.”
“The Putin regime, like the Lukashenko regime, is getting rid of its opponents by all means in its effort to retain power.” Alexei, like many other Belarusian political prisoners, was repeatedly placed in a punishment cell. This happened for the 27th time in February.
“We all saw in the photo how these prison conditions affected his condition. That's why I have no doubt that Navalny was killed intentionally by the Putin regime.”
Anti-Putin activist Bill Browder said in a statement: “Make no mistake, Putin murdered Alexei Navalny.” He did so because Alexei Navalny was brave enough to stand up to Putin. He did this because Navalny offered the Russian people an alternative to kleptocracy and oppression. “This is a tragic day for Navalny and his family, but also for Russia and the hope for a better future.”
Browder also expressed shock and sadness for Navalny's family – his wife Yulia Navalnaya, 47, and their two children.
“I feel terrible for his family and I feel terrible for all the people in Russia who hoped that there could be a better future through someone like him,” he said.
But Putin's apologists reacted quickly to the international reaction.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “The immediate reaction of NATO leaders to Navalny’s death in the form of direct accusations against Russia is self-exposure.”
“There is no forensic investigation yet, but the West’s conclusions are already available.”
Leading Putin propagandist Margarita Simonya, head of the state media empire RT, said: “I was waiting to see who would be the first to say 'political assassination'.”
“The Guardian seems to be the first,” she said, adding: “But the Oscar still goes to Latvia – there.” [president] declared “brutally murdered”.
“I won’t even begin to explain to them what everyone has long forgotten.” [Navalny]that there was no point in killing him, especially before the elections, that it would benefit completely opposite forces.
“Why explain something when you already know everything exactly?”
Navalny (pictured with his wife Yulia Navalnaya) miraculously survived a suspected assassination attempt using a nerve agent during a flight in August 2020. He was evacuated to a hospital in Germany and the use of the nerve agent Novichok was later confirmed.
Navalny was also seen in January when he was transferred to a Russian penal colony in the Arctic Circle, smiling and laughing in court via video feed.
The hearing was one of many lawsuits he had filed against the penal colony – this one related to one of his stays in a “punishment cell”.
At the hearing, Navalny joked about the Arctic weather and asked whether officials at his former prison had thrown a party when he was transferred.
His allies condemned the move to a colony in the town of Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets region about 1,900 miles northeast of Moscow as another attempt to force Navalny to remain silent.
The remote region is notorious for its long and harsh winters. Kharp is about 60 miles from Vorkuta, whose coal mines were part of the Soviet Gulag prison camp system.
Since August 2022, Navalny has been sent to a punishment cell 27 times, most recently on February 14th. He spent a total of 308 days in the punishment cell.
There were claims that a sadistic Putin demanded to see reports – and even live footage – of Navalny being punished and humiliated by guards.
Miraculously, Navalny survived a suspected assassination attempt using a nerve agent in August 2020 on a flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk, where he was organizing opposition candidates.
As he returned from the toilet, he collapsed in the aisle and the plane made an emergency landing in the city of Omsk, where he spent two days in a hospital while supporters pleaded with doctors to allow him to be taken to Germany for treatment.
When he arrived in Germany, doctors discovered that he had been poisoned with a type of Novichok – similar to the nerve agent that almost killed former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018.
The attack also resulted in the death of another woman.
After being poisoned, Navalny was evacuated to a hospital in Germany. The use of the nerve agent Novichok was later confirmed in a laboratory
Navalny walks to his seat on a Pobeda Airlines plane en route to Moscow before it takes off from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in Schönefeld on January 17, 2021
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny is escorted from a police station on January 18, 2021
Navalny's arrest in 2021 sparked massive protests that reached the far corners of Russia and resulted in more than 10,000 people being arrested by police
Navalny was in a medically induced coma for about two weeks and then struggled for several more weeks to regain his speech and movement.
His first communication during his recovery showcased his defiant wit – an Instagram post that said breathing on one's own is “a remarkable process that is underestimated by many.” Highly recommended.'
The Kremlin denied being behind the poisoning, but Navalny disputed the denial with a bold move — essentially a deadly serious prank call.
He released a recording of a call he allegedly made with an alleged member of a group of Federal Security Service (FSB) officers who allegedly carried out the poisoning and then tried to cover it up.
The FSB dismissed the recording as a fake.
Russian authorities then upped the ante, announcing that Navalny had violated the terms of a suspended sentence in one of his embezzlement convictions while in Germany and that he would be arrested when he returned home.
But staying abroad was not in his nature. Despite knowing he would be arrested, the father of two returned to Russia in January 2021.
In just over two weeks he was tried, convicted and sentenced to two years in prison.
The events sparked massive protests that reached the far corners of Russia and resulted in more than 10,000 people being arrested by police.
As part of a massive crackdown on the opposition that followed.
A Moscow court in 2021 banned Navalny's anti-corruption foundation and about 40 regional offices as extremist.
The verdict that exposed members of his team to criminal prosecution.
Despite the outcry, Navalny has since been behind bars and received three prison sentences, all of which he rejected as politically motivated.
He had since spent months in isolation in Prison Colony No. 6 before being transferred to IK-6. He was repeatedly placed in a tiny punishment cell for alleged minor infractions, such as improperly buttoning his prison uniform.
They also refused to give him his mail, deprived him of writing utensils, denied him food he ordered and paid for in addition to regular meals, and did not allow visits from relatives, Navalny argued in his lawsuits, objecting to his treatment.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, his wife Yulia, his daughter Daria and his son Sakhar pose for a photo in front of a polling station during the Moscow city parliament election in Moscow, Russia, September 8, 2019
Navalny addresses supporters and journalists after his arrival from Kirov at a train station in Moscow, Russia, July 20, 2013
Police officers detain Navalny during a rally in support of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov, who was arrested by police, on June 12, 2019 in Moscow, Russia
In his last post, Navalny sent his wife Julia a Valentine's Day message.
It said: “Baby, with you everything is like a song: between us there are cities, the starting lights of airports, blue blizzards and thousands of kilometers.” But I feel every second that you are near me, and I love you more and more.'
Navalny's reported death comes a month before Russia's presidential election, which will take place March 15-17.
Putin is widely expected to win and remain in power until at least 2030.