Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died on Friday in an Arctic jail, rose to fame through social media and discontent with the Kremlin.
After recuperating from a nearly deadly poisoning attempt that his supporters claim was planned by the Kremlin, he returned to Russia and became the most vocal opponent of President Vladimir Putin and his policies for many years.
After going for a stroll, he lost consciousness on Friday and was not able to be revived by doctors, according to the jail service. He was arrested right away upon his arrival.
The 47-year-old dared to criticise Putin for his onslaught in Ukraine in shaky tapes from makeshift court sessions when he was incarcerated.
His criticism proved to be a source of annoyance for a Kremlin that rights organisations accused of eradicating opposition by any means possible. It struck a chord with thousands of youthful fans.
He had conducted nationwide presidential campaigns in 2018, released embarrassing corruption probes that humiliated the Kremlin, and mobilised sizable crowds onto Russian streets.
After accusing the Kremlin of being behind the Siberian poisoning incident, Navalny’s return to Russia in January 2021—despite the possibility of imprisonment—put him squarely in Putin’s crosshairs.
