Death and funeral of Alexei Navalny

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Death of Alexei Navalny
Alexei Navalny in 2020
Date16 February 2024; 3 months ago (2024-02-16)
LocationFKU IK-3, Kharp

On 16 February 2024, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service announced that Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny died in corrective colony FKU IK-3, Kharp in the Russian Arctic while serving a 19-year prison sentence.[1][2][3] Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on social media that his team could not immediately confirm his death until his lawyer visits the prison.[4][5]

Background

Alexei Navalny was seen as one of the most prominent critics of Russian president Vladimir Putin, having denounced corruption under his regime and unsuccessfully trying to run for president against him in 2018. In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok and evacuated to Germany. In January 2021, he returned to Russia after treatment and was arrested immediately upon arrival at the airport. Navalny was convicted of fraud and a number of other charges, including creating an "extremist" community in the form of the Anti-Corruption Foundation created by him. Human rights activists stated that the persecution of Navalny was political. In December 2023, he was transferred from a penal colony east of Moscow to another penal colony in Kharp, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, in Russia's Far North. He was last seen alive publicly at a video link during a court hearing on 15 February, during which he was seen to be in good health. At the time of his death, Navalny was serving 19 years in the Polar Wolf "special regime" colony,[6][2] and was in solitary confinement for the 27th time, having spent a cumulative 292 days in solitary confinement over the course of his sentence.[7]

Events

On 16 February 2024, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service announced that Alexei Navalny had died in prison, in Federal Governmental Institution IK-3, Kharp, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, after taking a walk and feeling unwell that morning. The prison statement claimed that "All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out but did not yield positive results... The paramedics confirmed the death of the convict."[2]

Reactions

Domestic

Journalist Andrei Zakharov commented "Navalny did not die, he was killed." Opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin noted that as of yet Navalny's death was not confirmed and stated "I pray that the information turns out to be false. Alexei [was] one of the most talented and brave people in Russia I ever knew."[8]

Protests were reported in Moscow, Tomsk, Perm, and Belgorod.[9]

International

  •  European Union: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote that she was "Deeply disturbed and saddened by news of the death of Alexei Navalny."[10]
  •  Georgia: President Salome Zourabichvili called Navalny's death "a tragedy for all democracy and human rights defenders" and expressed her condolences for his family and "those who in Russia continue his fight for democracy."[11][12]
  •  Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he "paid for his courage with his life".[13]
  •  Latvia: President Edgars Rinkēvičs offered condolences to Navalny's family and friends and stated that Navalny "was just brutally murdered by the Kremlin. That's a fact and that is something one should know about the true nature of Russia’s current regime."[11][14]
  •  NATO: Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that he was "saddened and disturbed by reports coming from Russia".
  •  United Kingdom: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Navalny "demonstrated incredible courage throughout his life" and that his death was "terrible news".
  •  Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the death of Navalny.[11]
  •  United States: Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Navalny's death in 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."[15] National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called the news "a terrible tragedy".[16]

Protests in honor of Navalny were announced in Austria, Argentina, Armenia, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Georgia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, the UK, and the USA.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "УФСИН России по Ямало-Ненецкому автономному округу сообщает". 89.fsin.gov.ru (in Russian). УФСИН России по ЯНАО. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Russian opposition leader Navalny has died, prison service says". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Russia-Ukraine war live: Alexei Navalny dies in prison after morning walk, says Russian prison service". Guardian. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  4. ^ Times, The Moscow (16 February 2024). "Alexei Navalny Dies in Jail – Prison Service". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  5. ^ Troianovski, Anton (16 February 2024). "Aleksei Navalny: Outspoken Putin Critic Is Dead, Russian State Media Reports". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  6. ^ "УФСИН сообщило о смерти Алексея Навального в колонии". Радио Свобода (in Russian). Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Navalny Again Placed In Punitive Solitary Confinement By Russian Prison". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  8. ^ "«Сегодня в российской тюрьме на крайнем севере Владимир Путин убил Алексея Навального». Реакции на сообщение о смерти Алексея Навального Материал обновляется". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Умер Навальный. Онлайн «Медузы»". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  10. ^ Ostiller, Nate (16 February 2024). "Von der Leyen: 'Deeply disturbed and saddened by news of death of Alexei Navalny'". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Tributes from world leaders pour in following shock news of Alexey Navalny's death". Novaya Gazeta Europe. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  12. ^ Zourabichvili, Salome. "Alexei Navalny's death is a tragedy for all democracy and human rights defenders. My condolences to his family and those who in Russia continue his fight for democracy". X. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny dead, says prison service". BBC News. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  14. ^ Rinkēvičs, Edgar. "Whatever your thoughts about Alexey @Navalny as the politician, he was just brutally murdered by the Kremlin. That's a fact and that is something one should know about the true nature of Russia's current regime. My condolences to the family and friends". X. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  15. ^ Heintz, Jim (16 February 2024). "Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russia's Putin, has died, Russian authorities say". AP News. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  16. ^ Nuyen, Suzanne. "Alexei Navalny has died in prison; Israeli troops raid Gaza's Nasser Hospital". NPR. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  17. ^ "«Ковчег» собрал список анонсированных акций в память о Навальном по всему миру". Mediazona. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
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