On February 16, the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug announced the death of the politician Alexei Navalny. According to the statement, he felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness. After that, paramedics pronounced him dead.
The politician’s family has not yet confirmed or denied the FSIN’s report. Navalny’s team stated that they do not currently have confirmed information about Navalny’s death. The politician’s lawyer flew to the colony where Mr. Navalny was held.
Navalny died precisely one month before the Russian presidential “elections,” from March 15 to 17. Transparency International — Russia’s team believes that the death of the politician is a murder orchestrated by the Russian authorities. Putin saw a threat to himself even in an exhausted person whom he tried to silence by imprisoning him for more than 20 years.
The Russian authorities are responsible for his death, and despite the efforts of Russian society to save him, we failed. This is an immense tragedy for all of us. But that doesn’t mean we should despair.
On the contrary, we must not give up under any circumstances. Now that Navalny is no longer with us, we cannot rely on his help or willingness to risk his life for all of us. We should help ourselves and each other in memory of him and for our well-being.
We express our condolences to the family and loved ones of Alexei Navalny. Transparency International — Russia’s team calls on the international community and human rights organizations to demand an independent and objective investigation into the death of Alexei Navalny to bring those responsible to a fair trial.
