In front of the Russian Embassy in Prague, protesters gathered on Friday to light candles following the news of the passing of Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, in an Arctic prison. The image credit goes to Milan Kammermayer/AFP via Getty Images.
The passing of Alexei Navalny, a key figure in the Russian opposition, in a penal colony situated in the Arctic region of Russia was both shocking and sadly expected. Over the years, individuals critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin have faced various forms of harm, including shootings, poisoning with toxic substances, and suspicious falls from heights.
At the age of 47, Navalny had recently attended a court session at the “Polar Wolf” penal colony, where he was serving a lengthy sentence, just a day before his untimely demise. Evgenia Kara-Murza, the spouse of another opposition leader in custody, mentioned on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Navalny seemed to be in good spirits during their last interaction. Despite the circumstances, Navalny was able to convey Valentine’s Day wishes to his wife in a video from the court hearing. Shockingly, less than a day later, the prison authorities confirmed his passing.
In 2021, Navalny was imprisoned in Russia after surviving a poisoning attempt that had nearly claimed his life during a flight from Siberia to Moscow. Following emergency treatment in Berlin, medical professionals revealed that he had been exposed to a nerve agent known as Novichok. Despite the grave risk involved, Navalny chose to return to Russia after his recovery.
Navalny’s tragic fate adds to the growing list of opposition figures, journalists, and critics who have either lost their lives under suspicious circumstances or narrowly survived poisoning incidents, spanning from London to Moscow.
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– Russian critics Putin death
