MOSCOW, Russia – On the day before his death, a video of Alexey Navalny showed the 47-year-old looking thin and making jokes during a video conference from the IK-3 penal colony, also known as the Polar Wolf prison, in the Arctic town of Harp. Just a day later, Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s prominent opponent, fainted and was pronounced dead two hours later, despite efforts to resuscitate him.
The cause of Navalny’s death is still being determined, with conflicting claims from prison officials and Navalny’s supporters. Many believe that Navalny was murdered, pointing to the fact that he had experienced prior poisoning and had complained of severe back pain and torture during his time in prison. His mother, however, insists that he showed no signs of illness when she saw him just a few days before his death.
Navalny’s death comes after a series of events including his poisoning with a nerve agent in 2020, imprisonment upon returning to Russia, and multiple trials orchestrated by the Kremlin. His tireless efforts to expose corruption in the Russian government made him a constant thorn in Putin’s side, and many see his death as a predictable outcome of his opposition to the regime.
Experts and health professionals have raised skepticism about the reported cause of Navalny’s death, with some pointing to the use of the “blood clot” diagnosis as a way to describe suspicious causes of death. This, coupled with Navalny’s history of poisoning and his treatment in prison, has led many to believe that foul play was involved in his sudden passing.
Navalny’s death has sent shockwaves through Russia and the international community, reigniting debates about the authoritarian practices under Putin’s regime and drawing comparisons to Soviet-era totalitarianism. As investigations into Navalny’s death continue, his sudden passing has left a void in the opposition movement in Russia and sparked renewed outrage against the government.