The UK and its allies have blamed the Russian state for the death of Alexei Navalny two years after the prominent Kremlin critic died in a Siberian penal colony. Analysis found a dart frog toxin on Navalny's body, authorities revealed this week, pinpointing responsibility on Moscow for the February 2024 death of the 47-year-old opposition leader.
Navalny was Russia's most vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin. He founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation in 2011 and led major anti-government protests. His organisation published detailed investigations into alleged corruption by high-ranking Russian officials and their associates. Putin notably avoided saying Navalny's name, instead referring to him as «that person» in what observers saw as an attempt to diminish his importance.
Rise and persecution
Navalny called United Russia a «party of crooks and thieves» in a 2011 interview. Russian authorities convicted him of embezzlement in 2013, though he received a suspended sentence. He ran for Moscow mayor that year, finishing second against a Putin-backed incumbent. Amnesty International later recognized him as a prisoner of conscience and described his fraud trial as a sham.
The Kremlin barred Navalny from the 2018 presidential election. State criminal prosecutions against him were widely considered politically motivated to prevent him from running in future elections.
Poisoning and arrest
In August 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent. He was medically evacuated to Berlin. Navalny accused Putin of responsibility for the poisoning, with an investigation implicating agents from Russia's Federal Security Service.
Upon his return from Germany in January 2021, authorities immediately arrested him on charges of violating parole conditions while hospitalized. Mass protests erupted across Russia following his arrest. The state designated his organizations as extremist and liquidated them.
Final imprisonment
A fraud trial in March 2022 sentenced Navalny to nine years in jail. Authorities extended his term to 19 years in August 2023 on alleged extremism charges. In December 2023, he was moved to a "special regime" penal colony above the Arctic Circle in the town of Kharp, Yamalo-Nenets region. The facility is Russia's highest security prison level, located in a remote area known for severe winters.
His allies decried the transfer as another attempt to silence him. Even from behind bars, Navalny continued launching scathing attacks against Putin via social media.
The documentary film "Navalny" about his poisoning won the Oscar for best documentary at the 2023 Academy Awards. In the film, he said: «If they decided to kill me, it means we are incredibly strong. We need to utilise this power to not give up.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
