Alexei Navalny dies in penal colony in Russia
Alexei Navalny (Getty Images)
Alexei Navalny has died in a correctional facility, according to the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. The cause of death is currently under investigation.
It is noted that during a walk, Navalny allegedly began to feel unwell, after which he lost consciousness almost immediately.
"Medical personnel of the facility arrived immediately, and an ambulance crew was called. All necessary resuscitation measures were taken, which did not yield positive results. The emergency medical service doctors confirmed the death of the convict," the report states on the website.
The source from the Russian propaganda channel Russia Today claims that Alexei Navalny died of a blood clot.
Who is Alexei Navalny
Alexei Navalny was a Russian politician and activist known for his opposition stance and anti-corruption investigations targeting Russian officials.
Navalny's poisoning
On August 20, 2020, Navalny fell unconscious on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. After hospitalization, he was transported for treatment to the Charité clinic in Berlin. By September 2, the German government announced that traces of the nerve agent Novichok were found in the opposition leader's body, a substance linked to laboratories in the USSR and the Russian Federation.
Confirmation of Novichok poisoning was also provided by two independent laboratories in France and Sweden.
European Union countries, the United Kingdom, and the United States condemned the attack on Navalny and called on the Russian authorities to investigate the incident.
Why Navalny was in jail
On February 17, Navalny was arrested upon his return to Moscow from Berlin, where he had spent several months recovering from Novichok poisoning.
By March 22, 2022, the Moscow Lefortovo Court sentenced the politician to 9 years in a high-security penal colony. He was allegedly found guilty of "embezzlement" and "contempt" of court. During the trial, the prosecution sought a 13-year sentence with a two-year probationary period.
According to the investigation, Navalny allegedly misused funds collected for the activities of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the Foundation for the Protection of Citizens' Rights, and the Navalny Headquarters, for purported extremism and personal needs.
Specifically, he was accused of contempt of Judge Katerina Frolova, who supported the accusations against him in the case of slander against a veteran and the veteran's grandson, Igor Kolesnikov.
On August 4, 2023, Navalny was sentenced to 19 years in a high-security penal colony.
