Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny dies, prison service says

By Sophie Tanno, Karl de Vries, Sana Noor Haq, Zoe Sottile, Michael Williams, Adrienne Vogt and Matt Meyer, CNN

Updated 7:45 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

What we covered here

Jailed Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny has died, the Russian prison service said.
Navalny’s spokesperson said his lawyer is traveling to the Siberian penal colony where the opposition figure was serving multiple sentences for fraud, extremism and other charges he denied as politically motivated.
World leaders have reacted with shock and sadness to Navalny's death, with US President Joe Biden saying that if reports of his death are confirmed, "make no mistake: Putin is responsible." Navalny's wife vowed Kremlin leaders will be "brought to justice."
Navalny made global headlines when he was poisoned with a nerve agent in 2020. The CNN film chronicling the attempted assassination airs Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on CNN and is streaming on Max.

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7:40 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

"Hope dies": Muscovites react to reports of Navalny's death

From CNN’s Eve Brennan

Moscow residents reacted to the news of Alexey Navalny’s reported death on Friday, with some describing it as “fate” while others said they are “shocked."

Some Muscovites laid flowers and a photo of Navalny at a makeshift memorial in the Russian capital, according to Reuters footage.

Valeria, a 23-year-old tour guide, called Navalny a "symbol" in an interview with Agence France-Presse.

"First of all, a symbol of opposition, a symbol of hope for some brighter future for Russia. And there's a feeling that with his death, this hope dies. If there had been still been any hope left, it is even less now than it was before," she said.

Artur, a 27-year-old biology student, told AFP:

"You begin to have a desire to leave because you stop believing in positive changes."

Vladimir, an 84-year-old former psychologist, called Navalny "a simply fundamental element of life for us."

Moscow resident Alexander told Reuters he thought Navalny’s death was “expected," adding, "The news said he was being kept in bad conditions that weren't fit to live in."

Meanwhile, Muscovite Tatiana said: “Anything can happen in life. I think it's fate, honestly.”

“It's not political or anything. I think that ... it's a shame. I'm shocked and upset. It's a shame for the family. He was a young man, should have lived a long time,” she added.

Another Moscow resident, Mikhail, said he believes “enemies” of Russia “should be dealt with, the sooner the better.”

“Glory to our world freedom and our president,” he said.

Navalny's supporters: Navalny garnered a sizable support base during his political career, organizing anti-government street protests, and using his blog and social media to expose alleged corruption in the Kremlin and in Russian business.

He and his supporters claimed his arrest and incarceration in 2021 were politically motivated, intended to muzzle his dissent against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

CNN's Anna Chernova, Niamh Kennedy and Christian Edwards contributed reporting.

1:43 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

Moscow prosecutor's office warns protests related to Navalny's death are not authorized

From CNN's Niamh Kennedy

The prosecutor's office in Moscow has warned that any demonstrations in the Russian capital over the reported death of Alexey Navalny have not been authorized.

In a statement posted on its official website Friday, the prosecutor addressed individuals considering participating in a "mass action" in Moscow city center.

"We draw attention to the fact that this mass event has not been coordinated with the city's executive authorities in accordance with the procedure established by law," the prosecutor stressed.

The prosecutor warned that both appeals to participate and participation in unauthorized mass actions constitute offenses under Russian law and could result in individuals being placed under administrative arrest.

1:43 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

In pictures: Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny

From CNN Digital's Photo Team

Jailed Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny has died at the age of 47, the Russian prison service said Friday.

Navalny "felt unwell after a walk" and "almost immediately" lost consciousness, the prison service said. It said it was investigating his "sudden death."

Navalny had long been a thorn in the side of President Vladimir Putin, exposing corruption in high places, campaigning against the ruling United Russia party, and orchestrating some of the biggest anti-government protests seen in recent years.

He returned to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated after being poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. Upon his return, he was swiftly arrested on charges he dismissed as politically motivated.

US President Joe Biden and several European leaders have been quick to blame Putin for Navalny's death, though the exact circumstances remain unknown.

Alexey Navalny is seen behind the bars of a police van in Moscow after he was detained during protests in 2012. Sergey Ponomarev/AP

Navalny listens to opposition leader Garry Kasparov as a committee meets in January 2012 to discuss a new protest in Moscow. Anton Golubev/Reuters

Navalny and other members of Russia's opposition march in St. Petersburg, Russia, in February 2012. They were in Vladimir Putin's native city, demonstrating against his likely return to the Kremlin. Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images

A journalist films Navalny's apartment in Moscow after it was searched by police in June 2012. Mikhail Voskresensky/Reuters

Navalny gestures during an appeal hearing at a court in Moscow in March 2017. He was sentenced to 15 days behind bars for resisting police during the opposition rally. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Navalny poses for a photo after unknown attackers splashed him in the face with an antiseptic green dye in April 2017. The attack caused vision damage in one eye. Evgeny Feldman/Navalny Campaign via AP

Navalny, along with other opposition supporters in Moscow, pays tribute to the victims of a shopping mall fire in Siberia in March 2018. Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images

Navalny is surrounded by his wife, Yulia, and two children, Zakhar and Daria, while on a hospital bed in Berlin in September 2020. On social media, he said he was breathing on his own without medical support. Alexey Navalny/Instagram/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Navalny takes his seat on a Moscow-bound plane before taking off from Berlin in January 2021. Navalny was detained by police moments after landing in Russia. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Navalny appears on video from the Arctic penal colony where he was serving prison time in January 2024. He died in February. Navalny "felt unwell after a walk" and "almost immediately" lost consciousness, the Russian prison service said Friday. It said it was investigating his "sudden death." Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

See more photos from Navalny's life here.

7:41 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

Timing of Navalny's death suggests Putin "felt a degree of threat," CNN journalist says

From CNN's Nick Paton Walsh and Sana Noor Haq

In the weeks preceding Alexey Navalny's reported death on Friday, concerns for his welfare intensified after he was taken to a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle.

The timing of his death is significant "because it shows us something about how (Russian President) Vladimir Putin feels at this particular time," according to CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

"Navalny was pretty much as far out of the way as you could put him," he told CNN's This Morning on Friday. "He was out, it seems, of the political arena. He never really got a foothold in the electoral process ... yet still, Vladimir Putin felt a degree of threat."

It came shortly before Russia's presidential election, scheduled to take place on March 17, where Putin is widely expected to win a fifth term in a move that would see him retain power until at least 2030.

European leaders blame Putin: The exact circumstances of Navalny's death are unknown, but "we are hearing leading European politicians pointing the finger at the Kremlin," added Paton Walsh. A growing chorus of European leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre have already cast blame on Moscow.

"Ultimately, you could not have a more sore reminder of the urgency of the danger that Vladimir Putin places to Europe with the Ukraine war entering into its third year, and to his own population in that autocratic environment," Paton Walsh said.

1:34 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

UN secretary-general calls Navalny's death "shocking" and expects investigation into circumstances

From CNN’s Richard Roth and Eve Brennan

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says the death of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny is “shocking,” according to United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

“He expects a full, credible, and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his death while in detention,” Dujarric added.

1:19 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

Biden says Navalny’s death underscores need for more Ukraine funding

From CNN's Michael Williams

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the death of Alexey Navalny in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Friday. Evan Vucci/AP

US President Joe Biden on Friday said reports of the death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny should galvanize the United States to provide funding for Ukraine's war against Russia.

The United States has to "provide funding so Ukraine can keep defending itself," the president said in remarks from the White House, hours after the Russian prison service reported Navalny's death.

Failure to provide further funding "will never be forgotten," Biden said.

"The clock is ticking," the president added. "This has to happen."

Biden was asked by reporters whether there was any way to get additional ammunition to Ukraine without the passage of a supplemental funding bill by Congress.

“No, but it’s about time they step up, don’t you think? Instead of going on a two-week vacation,” he said, referencing two-week breaks in both the House and Senate this month.

Biden raised his voice: "Two weeks, they’re walking away. Two weeks. What are they thinking? My God, this is bizarre, and it’s just reinforcing all of the concern and almost — I won’t say 'panic' — but real concern about the United States being a reliable ally."

Asked whether Navalny’s reported death would burgeon support for additional funding from members of Congress, Biden said, “I hope to God it helps.”

1:04 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

Biden says "Putin is responsible for Navalny's death"

US President Joe Biden says he holds Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible after the Russian prison service announced that opposition figure Alexey Navalny has died in prison.

"Make no mistake: Putin is responsible for Navalny's death," he said. "Putin does not only target citizens of other countries, as we've seen in what's going on in Ukraine right now — he also inflicts terrible crimes on his own people," the president added.

The president said he was "outraged" by the news.

Navalny "bravely stood up to the corruption, the violence, and all the bad things that the Putin government was doing. In response, Putin had him poisoned, he had him arrested, he had him prosecuted for fabricated crimes," Biden said.

"Even in prison, he was a powerful voice for the truth," he said.

"He could have lived safely in exile after the assassination attempt on him in 2020, which nearly killed him," he said. "Instead, he returned to Russia — knowing he'd likely be imprisoned, maybe killed if he continued his work. But he did it anyway. Because he believed so deeply in his country, in Russia," the president continued.

Remember: The exact circumstances of Navalny's death are unknown, but world leaders have roundly cast the blame on Putin and his autocratic regime, to which Navalny posed a huge political and symbolic threat.

"We don't know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that the death of Navalny was the consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did," Biden said, when asked by a reporter if Navalny's death was an assassination.

12:58 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

NOW: Biden addresses Navalny's reported death from the White House

From CNN's DJ Judd

US President Joe Biden is addressing reports about the death of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny in remarks from the White House.

The White House said the president would speak ahead of his planned visit to East Palestine, Ohio, later Friday.

12:38 p.m. ET, February 16, 2024

Navalny's death sends shockwaves throughout the world. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

Alexey Navalny sits inside a police van after he was detained during protests in Moscow in 2012. Sergey Ponomarev/AP/FILE

Jailed Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny has died, the Russian prison service said on Friday, prompting an outpouring of anger and grief on the world stage and blame pinned on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his brutal regime.

Just hours before his death, Navalny joked with a court judge in western Russia about how he was running short of money on Thursday, video footage shows.

Below are the latest developments:

What we know: On Friday, the Russian prison service said Navalny "felt unwell after a walk" and "almost immediately" lost consciousness. It said it was investigating his "sudden death." Labytnang City Hospital told Russian state-run media RIA Novosti that it was trying to resuscitate Navalny for more than half an hour. Alexey Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, last saw her son in prison on Monday and he was “healthy and cheerful,” she is quoted as telling Russian independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta.
Reaction: World leaders have pointed the finger at Putin over Navalny's sudden death. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters who were traveling with him in Munich, Germany, on Friday that "Russia is responsible for this," while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in Berlin: ''Alexey Navalny died in a Russian prison - it is obvious for me that he was killed." European leaders have paid tribute to Navalny, with President of the European Council Charles Michel writing 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." Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government will be "brought to justice" for the death of her husband.
Analysis: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh said Navanly's death comes at an unexpected time for Russia and the Kremlin. It does not seem that Putin needed Navalny to die now. The dissident’s voice had been quietened. He had been reduced to a whisper from the Arctic Circle, confined to a prison regime that might itself have proven a threat to the health of a man who had already survived a vicious poison attack on a plane in 2020. Presidential elections are a month away. Navalny was not a candidate, and never stood a chance to be one in the closed system of managed democracy Putin has espoused since 2004.