Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has died.
Navalny, who was a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, died in prison according to the prison service.
Sky News reports that the Federal Penitentiary Service for Yamal said in a statement: “On 16.02.24 in the correctional colony number three, convict Navalny felt ill after a walk almost immediately losing consciousness.
“Medical workers of the institution arrived immediately, ambulance team were called.
“All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out which did not give a positive result. Ambulance, doctors stated death of the convict.
“The causes of death have been established.”
BREAKING: Russian opposition politician and Putin critic Alexei Navalny has died, according to the Russian prison service. https://t.co/WdAMakVeu5
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/uivw3BjnZz
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 16, 2024
Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has died, according to reports.
Sky News’ Moscow correspondent Diana Magnay said: “It’s appalling. It’s an absolute tragedy and it’s a stain on the conscience of the Russian state.
“His health has been deteriorating… he has been held in solitary confinement for much of the time since he was imprisoned after his return to Russia in January 2020.
“But it does seem very shocking that his health should have deteriorated to the extent that he’s dead now – given we have seen him in court videos, we have also had a lot social media presence from him via his lawyers where he is constantly seen upbeat and cheerful.
“Yes, he’s been put through a lot by the prison systems but we have not had an indication that he would die this suddenly, so I just wonder if something specific happened to him.”
Russian activist and Putin critic Alexei Navalny dies in prison https://t.co/TXeKwxQdH5
— The Guardian (@guardian) February 16, 2024
According to The Guardian, Navalny was one of Putin’s most visible critics who was serving a 30-year sentence on extremism and fraud charges.
Navalny did not expect to be released during Putin’s lifetime.
Putin is currently the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin and could surpass him if he runs for office again in 2030.
After Putin had the constitutional rules on term limits rewritten in 2020 this remains a possibility.
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