The Russian prison service announced on Friday that Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin and a leading figure in the fight against government corruption in Russia, has passed away in custody at the age of 47.
Navalny, who had previously survived multiple poisoning incidents, including one in 2020 with a military-grade nerve agent during a trip within Russia—an act he attributed to Putin—spent his last years imprisoned as Putin consolidated support for his military actions in Ukraine.
The announcement of Navalny’s death comes amid preparations for a Putin victory in the upcoming March elections, sparking widespread condemnation from Western leaders who hold Putin responsible.
According to a statement from Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, Navalny became severely ill and lost consciousness shortly after taking a walk on February 16, 2024, at penal colony No. 3 in the Yamalo-Nenets region, where he was detained.
Despite immediate medical attention and resuscitation efforts by the facility’s medical team and emergency responders, Navalny was pronounced dead.
The cause of his sudden death remains unclear, prompting the regional investigative committee to initiate a formal inquiry. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Putin has been briefed on the situation.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia, received a standing ovation at the Munich Security Conference, where Western officials gathered Friday.
“I don’t know whether I should believe the news,” she said, explaining it had come from state sources she said were known for lying.
If it’s true, she said, she wants Putin and his allies “to know that they will be punished for what they have done with our country, with my family, and with my husband. They will be brought to justice, and this day will come soon.”
