A day ago, in his last public appearance, Navalny seemed in good spirits.

 

Updated

Feb. 16, 2024, 7:49 a.m. ET

16 minutes ago

Anton Troianovski

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/16/world/aleksei-navalny

 

Here is what we know.

The death of Aleksei A. Navalny, reported by the Russian authorities on Friday, leaves the country without its most prominent opposition voice at a time when President Vladimir V. Putin has amassed near-total power, invaded neighboring Ukraine and drawn the sharpest divisions with U.S.-led Western allies since the end of the Cold War.

 

Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement on Friday that Mr. Navalny, 47, had lost consciousness and died after taking a walk in the Arctic prison where he was moved late last year.

 

“The facility’s medical staff immediately arrived and an ambulance brigade was called,” the penitentiary service’s statement said. “All necessary resuscitation measures were taken, which did not lead to positive results. The ambulance doctors confirmed the death of the convict.”

 

Mr. Putin’s spokesman said that the death had been reported to Mr. Putin, according to the Tass state news service.

 

Mr. Navalny’s spokeswoman said on social media that his team could not immediately confirm his death.

 

“We don’t have any confirmation of this yet,” the spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said, adding that a lawyer was traveling to the remote town where the prison is. “As soon as we have any information, we will report it.”

 

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Ivan Nechepurenko

Feb. 16, 2024, 8:03 a.m. ET3 minutes ago

3 minutes ago

Ivan Nechepurenko

 

A day ago, in his last public appearance, Navalny seemed in good spirits.

Aleksei Navalny made a court appearance via video from his penal colony on Thursday.

 

Aleksei A. Navalny was last seen in public on Thursday, when he appeared via video link in a court hearing.

 

Standing in a prison cage and wearing a black robe, Mr. Navalny appeared to be in good spirits despite being held in a harsh prison above the Arctic Circle. He jokingly asked the judge for part of his “huge salary.”

 

“Because I am running out of money thanks to your decisions,” Mr. Navalny said, referring to multiple fines imposed on him, according to a video published by Sotavision, a Russian news outlet

 

According to Sotavision, Mr. Navalny complained about being the only prisoner confined to a harsh punishment cell who was also forced to work at the prison sewing workshop. When he failed to do so, he was fined, he said.

 

Mr. Navalny was engaged in a multiple court cases against the Russian prison service. He complained about a lack of access to proper dental and medical care, and a lack of writing tools. He also complained about not having the right to have a Bible in his cell.

 

Mr. Navalny used his appearances in court to speak out about his political views. On Feb. 8, he called on Russians to vote for any candidate but President Vladimir V. Putin in next month’s presidential election.

 

“I performed my small agitation work, as you can see,” Mr. Navalny said, according to a recording published by his allies.