Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is dead. The Russian prison administration announced this on Friday. There was initially no independent confirmation. According to a spokeswoman, Navalny’s team had not yet received their own confirmation of death. According to the judiciary, the opposition activist collapsed and died in his Siberian penal colony.
The 47-year-old was considered one of Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin’s harshest critics. He was poisoned in January 2021 and was then treated in Germany, among other places. After returning to Russia, Navalny was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in February 2021. The sentence was increased to a total of 19 years in camp in further trials in 2022. The verdicts were internationally assessed as politically motivated.
Navalny’s confidants have repeatedly criticized the inhumane prison conditions in various prison camps. The Kremlin critic fell ill several times. Western governments repeatedly called for his release. Navalny’s death in camp custody has caused international consternation. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
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