The leader of the Russian opposition, Alexei Navalny, has died, as announced by the prison authorities, without however explaining exactly what led to the death of the main critic of Vladimir Putin.
Alexei Navalny died in penal colony No. 3 in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, the regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service reported on Friday.
"On February 16 of this year, in the penal colony No. 3, convict Alexei Navalny felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness. Medical personnel from the facility immediately arrived and an emergency medical team was called," the statement said.
"All the necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, but they did not yield positive results. Emergency doctors confirmed the convict's death. The cause of death is under investigation," the statement added.
The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) is carrying out all the necessary checks in connection with the death of Alexei Navalny, Dmitry Peskov, the Russian President's spokesman, said in the Kremlin's first reaction.
Peskov's first reaction
"As far as we know, now, in accordance with all applicable rules, FSIN is engaged in all checks, clarifications, etc. There is a certain set of rules by which the Service is guided," Peskov told reporters.
He was placed in isolation for 10 days
A few days ago, on January 23, Navalny was placed in isolation for 10 days. And this, because as his representative had said, he did not declare his name in the proper way to a guard.
Kira Jarmis, his representative, had stated, at the time, on Platform X that it was the 25th time that Navalny had been put in solitary confinement and that he had spent 283 days in such conditions.
Navalny, a former lawyer who spent many years of his life chronicling corruption in Russia and exposing the secrets of the Putin government, was in a penitentiary about 60 km above the Arctic Circle.
Navalny was sentenced to remain in prison until he was 74. He claimed that the charges against him were fabricated, with the aim of keeping him away from political life.
Source: protothema.gr