How Russia's opposition leader Alexei Navalny died

Alexei Navalny, Russia's most famous opposition leader, died in prison, the authority said on Friday. Now question arises how Navalny did die?

How Alexei Navalny died?

The Russian prison service said, Alexei Navalny died on Friday after collapsing and losing consciousness at the penal colony north of the Arctic Circle where he was serving a long jail term. 

But supporters of Navalny said that they could not confirm he was dead, but that if he was then they believed he had been killed. 

"Russian authorities publish a confession that they killed Alexei Navalny in prison," Navalny aide Leonid Volkov wrote on social media. "We do not have any way to confirm it or to prove this isn’t true."

Navalny, a 47 year old lawyer, rose to prominence more than a decade ago by lampooning President Vladimir Putin and the Russian elite whom he accused of vast corruption, avarice and opulence.

The Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District said in a statement that Navalny "felt unwell" after a walk at the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp, about 1,900 km (1,200 miles) north east of Moscow.

He lost consciousness almost immediately, it said.

"All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, which did not yield positive results. Doctors of the ambulance stated the death of the convict," the prison service said, adding that causes of death were being established.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, president Putin has been told about Navalny's death. Putin, who is running for re-election in a month, was shown on a television clip visiting a factory in the Urals.

Kira Yarmysh, a spokesperson for Navalny, said his lawyer was on the way to the IK-3 penal colony. 

How the world reacts to Navalny's death 

After the news of Navalny's death spread, condemnation quickly poured in from Western governments who have been decrying his imprisonment from the very beginning. 

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said on X, "Dreadful news about Alexei Navalny... If the report about his death in Russian prison is true it represents another terrible crime by Putin’s regime". 

Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of European Union Commission, said on X post, "Deeply disturbed and saddened by news of the death of Alexei Navalny. Putin fears nothing more than dissent from his own people." 

"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", she added. 

European Council President Charles Michel said the Russian dissident "fought for the values of freedom and democracy" and made the ultimate sacrifice.

"The EU holds the Russian regime for sole responsible for this tragic death."

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Navalny was "obviously killed by Putin". 

Speaking from Berlin, where he was signing a security deal with Germany, he added that Putin does not care who dies as long as he maintains his position at the top.

US President Joe Biden said that he was "not surprised" but “outraged” at the news of Navalny’s death. 

"He bravely stood up to the corruption, the violence and all the bad things the Putin government were doing,” Biden said. “Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death." 

The Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly said that reports of Navalny “gave his freedom in the hopes of a better, more democratic future for the Russian people”.

“Reports of his death are a painful reminder of Putin’s continued oppressive regime,” Joly added.

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