Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny – a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin – has died, according to the prison service.
The jailed dissident, who had campaigned against official corruption and led major anti-Kremlin protests, was 47.
Mr Putin has been informed of his death, according to the state news agency TASS.
The Federal Penitentiary Service for Yamal said in a statement: “On 16 February 2024, in penal colony No 3, convict AA Navalny felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness.
“The facility’s medical workers immediately arrived at the scene and an emergency medical team was called in.
“All necessary resuscitation measures have been carried out, but they did not yield positive results.
Emergency medics confirmed the death of the convict.
“The causes of death have been established.”
Nobel Peace Prize winner and campaigning journalist Dmitry Muratov, who is editor-in-chief of Russia’s most famous independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, described the death of Mr Navalny as “murder” and said he believed prison conditions had led to it.
