On February 16th, 2024 at 2:19 pm (Moscow time), it was publicly announced that Russian lawyer, Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny died while on a walk in his Siberian penal colony, a place where criminals are put into exile as punishment. It is said that he was feeling unwell and as a result, collapsed unconscious and died. Authorities from the prison state that Navalny suffered from “sudden death syndrome”, a broad term that describes a sudden death from natural causes – thus the name. Later on Saturday February 17th, Navalny’s mother arrived at a mortuary where his body is said to be kept. However, Kira Yarmysh, the spokesperson for Navalny states that his mother was not allowed to go inside the mortuary and Navalny’s body wouldn’t be handed over until a chemical analysis would be completed. However, Russia Today (RT) reported the possibility of blood clots being the cause of his death.
Navalny was a lawyer, anti-corruption activist, political prisoner, mostly known for being a critic of Russian President Putin and organizing anti-government demonstrations. Through his protests against Putin. 2011 was the year he organized a non-profit anti-corruption organization, whose name in English translates to Anti-Corruption Foundation or FBK for short. Later in December, Navalny participated in what is known as the largest protest in Moscow, Russia 2011. He was later sentenced to 15 days in jail. Since then, Navalny had been jailed over 10 more times.
In early 2020, Navalny fell ill and unconscious while on a flight over Siberia. When the plane landed in Germany, doctors confirmed that he was poisoned by a Soviet Union agent. After he returned to Russia, he was arrested. While in jail, he still suffered from the effects of the previous poisoning, back pain, sleep deprivation, numbness in his legs, and feeling ill. The day before his death, he was seen on a court video joking about the rough conditions of the jail. Since his death, memorials have been put up around Moscow by supporters. However, many are being taken down and thrown away by diplomatic staff.