Alexei Navalny was ‘brutally murdered by the Kremlin,’ Latvia’s president has said, after Russia reported today the jailed opposition leader had ‘collapsed and died’.

Russian news outlets announced Navalny’s death – citing the Siberian prison service where he was serving his sentence – sparking shock and anger across Europe, with world leaders quickly pointing the finger at Russian president Vladimir Putin.

As Putin‘s staunchest domestic critic, Navalny crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests – drawing the ire of the Kremlin.

He once survived an assassination attempt involving the Novichok nerve agent, but returned to his homeland upon his recovery, despite knowing he would be arrested.

He was serving time on charges of extremism after being sentenced to 19 years behind bars, and in December was moved from a prison in central Russia to a ‘special regime’ penal colony known as ‘Polar Wolf’ above the Artic Circle.

The 47-year-old was last seen via video link during a court hearing on Thursday. He appeared to be in good spirits, laughing and joking from his cell.

But the Federal Prison Service said in a statement today that Navalny felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness. An ambulance arrived to try to save him, to no avail.

‘On February 16, 2024, in correctional colony No. 3, convict Navalny A.A. felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness,’ said a statement from prison officials. ‘Emergency doctors confirmed the death of the convict,’ it added.

Russian news agency reported that it was told the ambulance team reached the colony where Navalny was serving his sentence in seven minutes.

It took another two minutes to reach the patient, it added.

‘The doctors who arrived at the scene continued the resuscitation measures that were already being provided by the penal colony’s doctors. And they spent more than half an hour. However, the patient died,’ said the local hospital.

Navalny’s spokesperson said on the X social media platform that she was unable to confirm his death. Kira Yarmysh said that Navalny’s lawyer was travelling to the site of the prison where he had been serving his sentence.

Leonid Volkov, a Navalny aide, said: ‘The Federal Penitentiary Service in the Yamalo-Nenets District is disseminating news about the death of Alexei Navalny in IK-3.

‘We don’t have any confirmation of this yet. Alexey’s lawyer is now flying to Kharp. As soon as we have any information, we will report it.’

Russia’s TASS news agency reported that Navalny did not complain about health problems before his apparent death.

Putin has been informed about his rival’s death, his spokesman confirmed.

Dmitry Peskov said: ‘As far as we know, in line with all the existing rules, the FSIN [prison service] are running all the checks and establishing… all of that. No orders are needed for that because there is a certain set of rules for these occasions.’

Asked if it was true there was a blood clot, he said: ‘I don’t know, I don’t know…. The medics should establish.’

In Putin’s Russia, political opponents often faded amid factional disputes or went into exile after imprisonment, suspected poisonings or other heavy repression.

But Navalny grew consistently stronger and reached the apex of the opposition through grit, bravado and an acute understanding of how social media could circumvent the Kremlin’s suffocation of independent news outlets.

He faced each setback – whether it was a physical assault or imprisonment – with an intense devotion, confronting dangers with a sardonic wit.

Reports of his death prompted shock and anger across Europe, with Latvia‘s president saying Navalny had been ‘brutally murdered by the Kremlin’.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid tribute to the ‘fiercest advocate for Russian democracy’, saying Navalny was a prominent and persistent critic of Putin who had ‘demonstrated incredible courage throughout his life’.

The Prime Minister said: ‘This is terrible news. As the fiercest advocate for Russian democracy, Alexei Navalny demonstrated incredible courage throughout his life. My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Russia, for whom this is a huge tragedy.’

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