Imprisoned Russian opposition politician, Alexey Navalny, has suddenly died Friday morning at Yamalo-Nenets Region where he was serving a prison sentence.
The 47-year-old activist began feeling unwell after a morning walk, eventually losing consciousness and ultimately died despite all medical efforts to resuscitate him, according to a Siberian prison official.
Navalny, “almost immediately lost consciousness” after becoming unwell, he said.
The exact cause of death is yet to be determined but one speculation is that he may have suffered a blood clot.
Opposition Activism
Navalny has had a tumultuous life an an opposition activist to Russian strong man, Vladimir Putin. He was imprisoned in early 2021 due to a longstanding fraud case involving French retailer Yves Rocher.
In the summer preceding that, he was said to have been poisoned in Siberia, leading to his subsequent transfer to Germany for treatment. Upon his return, he faced a series of prison terms, initially placed in a high-security facility in the Vladimir Region.
In 2013 he ran for Moscow mayoral election in 2013, garnering significant support. Despite facing numerous challenges and legal battles, Navalny remained devoted to his cause.
His journey from his early days as a Russian nationalist activist to becoming a key figure in liberal-driven protests and later establishing a movement exposing corruption in Russian government often put him at odds with the establishment.
A native of Moscow, he leaves behind a wife and two children.
Navalny’s Wife In Tears; Accuse Putin
But Navalny’s wife is rattling the hornet’s nest. Fighting back tears during a speech hours later in Munich Security Conference, Germany, where she lives, Mrs. Yulia Navalny pointed accusing fingers for her husband’s reported death at Putin.
Vladimir Putin “and his friends will not go unpunished”, Yulia said, and calling on the international community to come together and fight against the “horrific regime” in Russia.
World Reacts
U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, present at the Munich meeting didn’t spare Putin either, remarking that Mr Navalny’s death “underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built”. He pointedly alleged that “Russia is responsible for his (Navalny’s) death”.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has dismissed the accusation, calling on U.S. to wait for full investigations before jumping to conclusion.
Putin Informed
The Kremlin has confirmed that Putin has been informed of the news of Navalny’s demise. Spokesman, Dmitry Peskov referred all other enquiries on the matter to the Federal Penitentiary office.
Navalny’s lawyer, Leonid Solovyov, still in shock refused to comment on the situation, only remarking that to the best of his knowledge, his client was in high spirit when they last met two days prior.
Russia is going for her 8th Presidential election in March 2024, in which henchman Putin is seeking a 6th term in office as President of the Russian Federation.
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