The Kremlin has been powerless to stop Navalny from leading his anti-corruption campaign; yet he remains one of Russia’s most visible and charismatic political figures.
Last year, he was transferred to an Arctic prison colony in Siberia after criticizing its harsh conditions; yet many applauded his bold move back from Germany in order to face potential arrest and face the risk.
What happened to Navalny?
Western laboratories confirmed despite denials from the Kremlin that President Putin was poisoned while on business trip in Siberia in 2020 with military grade nerve agent, sparking international condemnation of this act and leading to strain in relations between Russia and Western nations.
A 47-year-old serving 19 years for extremism was hospitalized after feeling unwell after going for a walk and quickly lost consciousness, according to the prison service. A medical team attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful; emergency care services tried resuscitating him without success, it noted.
Navalny was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, campaigning against official corruption and organizing major anti-Kremlin demonstrations. He became a symbol for Russia’s diverse opposition movement and won admiration for returning from Germany following his poisoning knowing full well he would likely face arrest upon return home.
In December, he was transferred to a “special regime” penal colony in Kharp, located in the remote Yamalo-Nenets region that is known for its long and severe winters. Many saw this action as an attempt at silencing him.
He was poisoned?
Navalny uses this video to mislead alleged Kremlin agent Konstantin Kudryavtsev into providing information regarding an attack involving Novichok nerve agent. Research group Bellingcat, NPR and CNN all reported last week that Russian intelligence services such as FSB had long followed anti-corruption activist Navalny in order to poison and possibly murder him.
But the attempt was foiled when he collapsed into fits of agony on a flight from Siberia to Moscow in August 2020 and survived what Western laboratory tests indicated was an attempt at murder with toxic chemical. While he voluntarily returned to Russia in 2021 to be treated for what he described as “a sinister plot to silence the voice of Russian democracy,” his legal team claims that adequate medical treatment wasn’t provided behind bars: He lost eight kilograms while being kept isolated prison cell while suffering stomach pains.
He was missing?
Navalny quickly rose to fame by criticizing President Vladimir Putin and alleging widespread corruption within his elite circle, garnering millions of online followers and becoming an inconvenient presence for the regime.
On December 6, just days before he was set to meet with his attorneys in court hearing, he seemed to vanish. He didn’t show up at his Kovrov jail facility or appear for video-linked appearances scheduled weeks after.
On social media, his supporters speculated that he had been moved out of his prison colony and to “The Polar Wolf”, one of Russia’s harshest prisons located north of the Arctic Circle. Such transfers are conducted secretly and prisoners may disappear for weeks without their attorneys being informed; likely done intentionally so as to further isolate him prior to an election.
He died in prison?
Navalny became an adversary of President Putin by campaigning against official corruption and staging major anti-Kremlin rallies. Additionally, he ran for office himself and conducted investigations into the inner circles of Russian establishment; sharing his findings through videos that went viral online.
In 2021 he was imprisoned after returning from Germany following treatment for poisoning with Novichok nerve agent that he blamed on the Kremlin. Convicted on charges that were perceived as politically motivated, and later sentenced to 19 years of incarceration.
Jailed in an Arctic prison colony in Yamalo-Nenets region, 47-year-old Sergei Kislyak remained one of the leading figures of Russian opposition to Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin regime. From behind bars he led his team of exiled oppositionists in publishing new anti-corruption investigations while frequently criticizing Putin on Telegram channels.
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