Russian Dissident Alexei Navalny Dies in Arctic Circle Soviet Era Gulag According to Prison Authority

Russian democracy activist Alexei Navalny, 47, died in a Soviet era gulag located north of the Arctic Circle on Friday, according to the Russian prison authority. Navalny leaves behind his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, and their two children.

Navalny reportedly fell ill and died while taking a walk. Navalny’s wife and lawyers are awaiting confirmation of his death. Navalny was an opponent of Russian President Vladmir Putin and had been persecuted for decades, poisoned and jailed.

Russian opposition leader Navalny felt sick during a walk, fainted and died quickly after that, as per Russian prison services statement. https://t.co/6D5WU6GcJn pic.twitter.com/XEsPd4BX1u

— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) February 16, 2024

Navalny’s team says it has no confirmation of his death. His lawyer is on the way to Kharp, the remote town in the Arctic Circle where Navalny was relocated last year.https://t.co/XQqqUOMWNh

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 16, 2024

Navalny revealed in December he had been secretly taken to the Polar Wolf gulag, after being sentenced in August to an additional 19 years in prison for “extremism”. Navalny had returned to Russia in 2021 after leaving for treatment in Germany for poisoning with aovichok nerve agent. A timeline of Navalny’s poisoning, court battles and sentences can be read at this link.

Navalny reportedly died at the IK-3 prison, known as “Polar Wolf”, above the Arctic Circle. pic.twitter.com/XxOkv9HGCI

— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) February 16, 2024

A defiant Navalny appeared in court on Thursday where he mocked the judge, asking him to send money to his prison account.

Navalny looks healthy and in good spirits in the last-known video allegedly shot during court proceedings a day before his reported death.

In it, Navalny is addressing a judge via a video link from his prison. pic.twitter.com/lUWjrPeybT

— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) February 16, 2024

Via Telegram, reportedly the last photo of Navalny alive. pic.twitter.com/5Ro69j3bSa

— Valerie Hopkins (@VALERIEinNYT) February 16, 2024

Muscovites bravely lined up Friday to lay flowers for Navalny:

Russians in Moscow are lining up to lay flowers in memory of Alexei Navalny at a memorial to Gulag victims outside the FSB headquarters.

Given the extent to which the Kremlin has suppressed all dissent since invading Ukraine, this is a not insignificant crowd. https://t.co/L805SmdZPk

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 16, 2024

Yulia Navalnaya spoke about her husband’s reported death at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

‘If this is true, I want Putin and everyone around him to know that they will be held accountable for everything they did to our country, to my family.’

Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei Navalny’s wife speaks after her husband’s death.

More: https://t.co/rZ0pCSkmIO

📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/LymLXBIQgf

— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 16, 2024

After a week of promoting Russia following his interview with Vladimir Putin, Tucker Carlson harshly condemned the death of Navalny.

Tucker Carlson on Alexei Navalny’s death in jail: ‘It’s horrifying, barbaric and awful – no decent person would defend it’https://t.co/rVeEnlx61z pic.twitter.com/dsfwFKoZUa

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 16, 2024

A younger, healthier and freer Navalny in 2007:

Alexey Navalny, July 2007, @RFERL Moscow bureau. Photo by Dmitry Borko. pic.twitter.com/UWvSMzlny6

— Mark Krutov (@kromark) February 16, 2024