London: The prison service reported that the Russian opposition politician and President Vladimir Putin’s Critic Alexei Navalny has died in Prison at the age of 47. According to their report, Navalny is often considered to be a vocal and prominent thorn in the side of the Russian government.
“On 02/16/2024, in correctional colony No. 3, convicted Navalny A.A. felt ill after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness. The medical staff of the institution immediately arrived, and an ambulance team was called. All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, which did not give positive results. The doctors of the emergency medical service pronounced the convict dead,” the report stated.
State Secretary of the United States, Antony Blinken has responded regarding the announced demise of Navalny during a discussion with the Indian Minister of External Affairs in Munich, Germany. Blinken has stated that, “If these reports are accurate, our hearts go out to his wife and to his family. Beyond that, his death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built.”
“Russia is responsible for this. We’ll be talking to many other countries concerned about Alexei Navalny, especially if these reports bear out to be true,” Blinken continued. Shortly after the Russian government announced Navalny’s death, his spokeswoman stated that they had no confirmation and would inform the public as soon as possible.
“For now we have no confirmation of that. Alexei’s lawyer is flying now. As soon as we will have any kind of information we will provide it,” Navalny’s spokeswoman Kyra Yarmysh, wrote on X. Navalny was transferred to an Arctic prison camp in December. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the matter.
For its part, the White House is trying to confirm Navalny’s death, but now National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said that, “If it’s confirmed, it is a terrible tragedy.” The news about the death of Alexei Navalny is causing shockwaves worldwide.
Navalny was a giant of Russian politics, known as Russia’s Nelson Mandela. He made his name with his extraordinary and fearless exposure of Vladimir Putin’s private wealth and turned it into a movement for an independent Russia without Putin. For many Russians, he came to represent the hope of a democratic future for Russia. While he was alive as Russia sank to new depths of repression over the past two years, he represented hope, fueled by the indomitable optimism that still publicised from his prison cell.
Although the cause of death is unknown, many suspect foul plays. After returning to Russia in 2021, he was immediately imprisoned, which raised concerns about his safety. He has been enduring constant pressure while in prison, spending hundreds of days in solitary confinement. Recently, he was transferred to an Arctic prison camp where his well-being is a major concern.
The timing of Navalny’s death is also noteworthy because it comes just a month before Russia’s elections, when he once again called for mobilizing the people and exposing vote fraud to undermine Putin’s legitimacy through the vote.
TRENDING | Trump takes Vladimir Putin’s comment as great compliment
