The prison service of the Yamalo-Nenets region has reported the death of Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition figure who was incarcerated, Reuters reported. The statement indicated that Navalny became unwell following a walk, quickly losing consciousness. Medical personnel responded promptly, and an ambulance was summoned.
Additionally, the statement mentioned, “Despite resuscitation efforts, there was no improvement. Paramedics confirmed the death of the inmate. The exact causes of death are currently under investigation.”
In December, Alexei Navalny was transferred to the IK-3 penal colony, known as the “Polar Wolf,” located in the northern town of Kharp, approximately 1,900 kilometres northeast of Moscow. This facility is renowned as one of Russia’s most severe prisons, primarily housing individuals convicted of serious offences.
During his initial public appearance via a video call from the Arctic penal colony, Alexei Navalny seemed to be in high spirits. He humorously remarked that he hadn’t received any Christmas mail yet, attributing it to being “quite far away.”
In response to the news, the Kremlin stated that they lack information regarding the cause of Alexei Navalny’s death, but assured that the prison service is conducting thorough investigations. Additionally, the Kremlin confirmed that Vladimir Putin has been briefed about Navalny’s passing.