Navalny – probably the most prominent Russian critic of President Vladimir Putin’s regime – who had been imprisoned since 2021, died on Friday in the Polyarny Volk penal colony at the age of 47.
Lyudmila Navalna went to the colony, which is located about 60 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle and is considered one of the harshest prisons in Russia, accompanied by her lawyer, writes Reuters.
According to authorities, Navalny died after he became ill and lost consciousness after a walk around the prison. Reviving no longer helped.
Legalized torture. The stay in the prison where Navalny died is harsh
Navalny’s wife, Julija Navalny, and his colleagues said on Friday that they were unable to confirm or deny the news of his death.
On Saturday, Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Jarmyšová, referring to information given to Navalny’s mother Lyudmila, said that he was dead.
Lyudmila Navalna’s mother previously said she last saw her son on February 12, when he was alive and looking “healthy and happy.” In the footage from Thursday’s court hearing, he is smiling and, according to the media, even joking.
Navalny left a note in case he was killed
Penal colony IK-3Video: Reuters