Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny dies

(Patria) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (47), who was serving a prison sentence in the Yamalo-Nenets region in the far Russian north, has died.

Russian news agencies announced today, citing the prison administration, Reuters reports.

Recall that Navalny was recently transferred to a penal colony located within the Arctic Circle.

"Today, in penal colony number 3, convict A.A. Navalny felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness almost immediately afterwards.

An emergency medical team was called to the scene and arrived immediately. All resuscitation measures were taken, but they did not yield a positive result.

Emergency doctors confirmed the death of the convict," the Russian prison administration announced.

Navalny, the most prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin in Russia and a strong opponent of the war in Ukraine, was serving a 19-year prison sentence for fraud, contempt of court, and parole violations.

Both Navalny and many in the West have dismissed these charges as fabricated and politically motivated.