The most significant opposition leader in Russia over the past decade, Alexei Navalny, has died in a penal colony in the Arctic Circle, according to the prison service. Navalny was serving a 19-year jail term on charges widely considered politically motivated and was moved to one of Russia’s toughest penal colonies late last year.
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Alexei Navalny’s Death and Last Moments
The prison service in the Yamalo-Nenets district stated that Navalny had “felt unwell” after a walk on Friday and had “almost immediately lost consciousness”. An emergency medical team tried to resuscitate him, but their efforts were unsuccessful. “The emergency doctors declared the prisoner dead. Cause of death is being established.”
Navalny was last seen only a day ago, looking well and laughing during a court hearing via video link. His mother, upon hearing the news, said, “We saw him in prison on 12th [February], in a meeting. He was alive, healthy, and happy.”
International Response
Shortly after Navalny’s death was announced, the international community hailed the courage of Vladimir Putin’s biggest domestic adversary. France, Norway, and the United States all expressed their condolences and concerns over the circumstances of Navalny’s death.
Alexei Navalny’s Return and Political Activity
Navalny returned to Russia in January 2021 after months of medical treatment in Germany. In August 2020, he was poisoned at the end of a trip to Siberia with a Novichok nerve agent. Navalny’s team managed to fly him out to Germany for specialist treatment, and upon his return to Moscow, he was immediately taken into custody.
His last Instagram post to his wife two days ago said there were thousands of kilometres between them “but I feel that you are near every second”. Navalny leaves behind two children, Dasha, who is studying in the US, and Zakhar, who is still at school.
Navalny’s Political Legacy
Navalny, 47, had long sought to challenge Vladimir Putin at the ballot box, but he was barred from running in the 2018 presidential election. Next month, Russia’s leader will stand unchallenged by any meaningful opposition.
Navalny’s opposition began in the form of an anti-corruption campaign. He is the latest in a string of prominent Russian figures who have died while challenging Vladimir Putin’s rule.
The Poisoning Incident and Falsehoods
Navalny’s arrest in January 2021 came after he was poisoned in August 2020. He was taken to a hospital in Omsk and later flown to a hospital in Berlin, where he recovered.
Reports revealed that Navalny became ill during a flight to Moscow from Tomsk in August 2020, and German laboratory technicians in September 2020 claimed he was poisoned with a nerve agent from the Novichok group.
However, Russian authorities began an aggressive disinformation campaign to deny the Russian government had a role in the attack, access to Novichok, or a motive to poison Navalny. They spread false theories and claims to discredit Navalny’s case.
Navalny’s Arrest and Sentencing
Upon his return from Germany, Navalny was arrested and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for parole violations. In March 2022, he was sentenced to nine years in a maximum-security prison on charges of fraud and contempt.
Navalny’s death leaves a void in the Russian opposition movement. His unwavering commitment to democracy and transparency will be remembered by supporters and critics alike.
