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Russian President Vladimir Putin's fierce critic, Alexei Navalny, has died in jail. Navalny had been running a campaign against government corruption in Russia and had participated in large-scale anti-Kremlin protests, leading to his imprisonment on extremism charges. He was 47 years old.
According to the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, a statement said that on Friday, Navalny felt unwell after a hunger strike and lost consciousness. Attempts were made to save him, but he passed away.
The statement mentioned that after the hunger strike, Navalny's health deteriorated, and he lost consciousness almost immediately. Medical staff arrived promptly, and an ambulance team was called. Despite resuscitation efforts, positive results were not achieved. The cause of death is under investigation following standard prison service procedures. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that President Putin has been informed of Navalny's death, and the jail service is conducting an inquiry into the death.
On the other hand, Navalny's legal team stated that there has been no confirmation of his death, and a lawyer is heading to the Arctic penal colony where Navalny was supposed to be transferred. Navalny's spokesperson, Kira Yarmish, mentioned on social media that they will report as soon as they receive any information.
Navalny had been in prison since January 2021, following his return to Russia from Germany, where he had been given treatment after being poisoned with a nerve agent. He accused the Russian authorities of being responsible for the poisoning. After recovering from his critical condition, he returned to Moscow, where he was arrested. He has faced jail sentences three times, but each time, he portrayed them as politically motivated and inspired by his opposition to the government.
Navalny was serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism and had been transferred in December to a high-security penal colony in the Vladimir region, located in the Arctic Circle. This location is infamous for its harsh and severe winter conditions, situated approximately 1,900 kilometers northeast of Moscow in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.