Death of jailed Russian opposition leader Navalny sparks Western outcry, condemnation of Putin

Western governments including the United States, Britain and Germany came down hard on Vladimir Putin on Friday following the sudden death of Alexei Navalny, the Russian president’s most vocal critic.

Navalny, 47, died in an Arctic prison colony where he served 19 years. Russia’s Federal Prison Service said in a statement that Navalny fell unconscious after the walk and medical staff were unable to revive him.

read more:Who is Alexei Navalny?Russian opposition leader poisoned, but dies in prison

The White House said the Russian opposition leader’s death, if confirmed, would be “a terrible tragedy.”talking about NPRWhite House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also added that the Kremlin’s “long and sordid” history of harming its opponents “raises real and obvious questions about what is going on here.”

British Prime Minister Sunak said Navalny’s death was “terrible news” and “a huge tragedy” for the Russian people. “As Russia’s most staunch advocate of democracy, Alexei Navalny has shown incredible courage throughout his life,” Sunak said on The thoughts of his wife are with the Russian people.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the opposition leader’s death, saying the Russian opposition leader paid with his life for his courage. Scholz recalled talking to Navalny about the “tremendous courage” that prompted him to return to Russia after recovering from a poisoning attack in Berlin. “He has now paid with his life for that courage,” Scholz said.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said it was “obvious” that Navalny was killed by the Putin regime and that the Putin regime must be held responsible for his death. “Obviously he was killed by Putin. Just like thousands of other people who were tortured,” Zelensky said, adding that it showed why Putin “must be made to lose everything and answer for his actions” “.

Navalny has been jailed since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from a nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. Before his arrest, he campaigned against official corruption, organized massive anti-Kremlin protests and ran for office. He has since been sentenced to three prison sentences, all of which he rejected as politically motivated. But the Kremlin dismissed the accusations and accused him of being an agent of the West.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Kremlin needed to answer “serious questions” about Navalny’s death. Stoltenberg told reporters: “I am deeply saddened and concerned by the reports coming out of Russia about the death of Alexei Navalny. All facts must be established and Russia has serious questions that need to be answered.” Russia Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov described Navalny’s death as “murder” and said he had been tortured for “years”. Exiled Russian opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov has accused Putin of “murdering” the jailed leader.

(Institutional investment)