Alexei Navalny, 47, a staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin and opposition leader, has died suddenly in a Russian prison. Navalny was in a secluded prison 40 kilometers from the Arctic Circle.
This information was reported by the BBC on Friday (February 16) citing Russian prison authorities.
In a statement, the Yamalo-Nenets district prison authorities said Navalny suddenly felt ill after a walk on Friday. Almost as soon as he felt ill, he lost consciousness. In such a situation, the emergency medical team was called immediately. They came and tried but could not save Navalny.
Russian state news agency Tass reported that President Vladimir Putin had already been informed of Navalny's death. An investigation is underway to find out the cause of death.
Navalny's supporters claimed that Navalny was arrested and imprisoned for political reasons to stop criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On August 20, 2020, Navalny fell ill on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow. The plane carrying him made an emergency landing in Omsk, Siberia. He was taken to a hospital there. He went into a coma. Later he was taken to Berlin, Germany for treatment. There he gradually recovered.
German doctors said there was clear evidence that Navalny had been administered a nerve agent. Tests at laboratories in France and Sweden also found evidence of Navalny being poisoned.
Navalny's party alleges that he was poisoned at the behest of Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the Kremlin has been denying the allegations of poisoning. At the same time, Russia claims that their doctors did not find the presence of poison. The international community, including the United Nations, called for an impartial and independent investigation into the use of chemical weapons on Navalny.
Navalny returned home on January 17, 2021, ignoring Kremlin threats. He was arrested at the airport. The following month he was sentenced to prison in an earlier embezzlement case.