Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny dies, prison service says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian leader Vladimir Putin must be held accountable for the death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny, following reports of his death. 

''Putin does not care who dies as long as he stays in his position - and this is why he should lose everything. This is why he should lose the war and he should be held accountable for the crimes that were committed on his behalf,'' Zelensky went on to say. 

''Like thousands of others who have been tortured to death because of this single Russian leader,'' Zelensky said.

European leaders have paid tribute to Alexey Navalny and criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin following reports of the jailed Russian opposition figure's death on Friday.

President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen said she was "deeply disturbed and saddened" by news of the death of Navalny.

"Putin fears nothing more than dissent from his own people," she said on X, formerly Twitter. "A grim reminder of what Putin and his regime are all about. Let's unite in our fight to safeguard the freedom and safety of those who dare to stand up against autocracy."

President of the European Council Charles Michel wrote in a post on X: "Alexey Navalny fought for the values of freedom and democracy. For the sake of his ideals, he made the ultimate sacrifice."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Navalny “paid for his courage with his life."

Scholz said that he was ''very sad'' about reports of Navalny's death, adding it was ''a terrible sign'' of how Russia had changed in recent years.

British Foreign Secretary and Former Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in a post on X that "Putin should be accountable for what has happened - no one should doubt the dreadful nature of his regime."

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he was "very shocked" by the reports, adding that it "shows the unprecedented brutality of the Russian regime."

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan offered the Biden administration’s first response to reports that Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has died in a Russian prison. 

President Joe Biden previously told reporters in 2021 that he warned Russian president Vladimir Putin that the consequences would be “devastating for Russia,” if Navalny died in prison during the US-Russia summit in Geneva, Switzerland.

The administration has repeatedly called for Navalny’s “immediate” release, while CNN has reported Biden called for Navalny’s release in his first phone call with Putin after taking office in 2021.

Russia’s prison service says “all necessary measures” were taken to try to save Alexey Navalny.

In a statement, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia (FSIN) said Navalny felt unwell after a walk on Friday and “almost immediately” lost consciousness.

“Medical personnel from the institution arrived promptly, and an ambulance team was called. All necessary resuscitation measures were taken, but they did not yield positive results. 

“Emergency medical doctors confirmed the death of the convicted individual.

“The causes of death are being determined.”

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny's final post on social media platform Telegram was on Wednesday, February 14, when he paid tribute to his wife on Valentine's Day.

The post was made just two days before his death was announced by the Russian prison service on Friday.

"Baby, everything is like a song with you," the post reads.

"There are cities between us, the take-off light of airfields, blue snowstorms and thousands of kilometers.

"But I feel that you are near every second, and I love you more and more."

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny fell gravely ill in August 2020 while on a return flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk. The pilot made an emergency landing in Omsk, where Navalny was taken to hospital for urgent treatment before being transferred to Germany, still critically ill.     

The German government said Navalny was poisoned with a chemical agent from the Novichok group, a conclusion supported by two other labs in France and Sweden. Novichok agents are highly unusual, so much so that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with them.   

A subsequent Bellingcat-CNN investigation found that an elite team in Russia's FSB security service, made up of about six to 10 agents, had trailed Navalny for more than three years. One of those agents revealed in a sting that the lethal nerve agent Novichok had been planted in the activist’s underpants.   

Despite these revelations, Navalny said he did not believe there would be an investigation in Russia.

 Nonetheless, once mostly recovered, the activist announced his plan to go back to Russia, saying: "There was never a question for me whether to return or not, never.”   

The condition of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny had been repeatedly raised by the Biden administration. US President Joe Biden called for Navalny’s release in his first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin after taking office in 2021, and raised the issue during a summit with his Russian counterpart that June.

“I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Biden said at the time.

He continued, “What do you think happens when he’s saying it’s not about hurting Navalny, all the stuff he says to rationalize the treatment of Navalny, and then he dies in prison?… It’s about trust. It’s about their ability to influence other nations in a positive way.”

The issue had remained at the forefront of US-Russia relations.

"We have communicated to the Russian government that they are responsible for what happens to Mr. Navalny while he's in their custody and they will be held accountable by the international community," spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing in December.

Alexey Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, says Navalny’s lawyer is traveling to Kharp, Russia, where the Kremlin critic had been serving his sentence.

In January 2024, CNN's Matthew Chance reported on what life is like inside one of Russia's notorious penal colonies, nicknamed the "Polar Wolf" for its remote location and proximity to the Arctic.

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was being held here when his death was announced on February 16, 2024, by Russian state media, citing the country's prison service.