
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died on Friday after collapsing and losing consciousness at the penal colony north of the Arctic Circle where he was serving a long jail term, the Russian prison service said.
Navalny, 47, has gained significant notoriety for his accusations of widespread corruption and critiques of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his close associates.
According to the east statement by the administration of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Navalny "felt unwell" after a walk at the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp, about 1,900 km (1,200 miles) northeast of Moscow. Shortly thereafter, he abruptly lost consciousness. The prison service claims that medical staff and an ambulance team were alerted immediately, and attempted resuscitation before declaring him dead at the scene.
The cause of death has yet to be determined. Putin has been notified about the incident.
Navalny has in the past been treated for what laboratory tests showed was an attempt to poison him with a nerve agent. He returned from Germany in 2021 to the admiration of Russian dissidents and opposition figures. He claimed the attempt on his life took place in Siberia in August 2020. The Kremlin denies having been involved and claims there was no evidence of the assassination attempt.