OAN’s Sophia Flores
10:54 AM – Friday, February 16, 2024
The prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, has died behind bars.
In a statement on Friday, the federal penitentiary service for the region, where Navalny was incarcerated, said that he had “felt unwell after a walk and almost immediately lost consciousness.”
“All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, which did not yield positive results,” the prison service said. “Doctors of the ambulance stated the death of the convict.”
President Joe Biden held a press conference at the White House where he blamed Putin and said that he is “not surprised, but outraged” about the 47-year-old’s death.
“Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death,” Biden said in remarks from the White House’s Roosevelt Room. “What has happened is yet more proof of Putin’s brutality. No one should be fooled. Not in Russia, not at home, not anywhere in the world.”
The details surrounding his death are still a mystery, however, Biden has no doubt that he had a hand in it.
“There is no doubt that the death of Navalny is a consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did” the president said.
The opposition leaders have had a corrupt relationship for many years. In December 2011, Navalny participated in mass protests that accused Russia of rigging its parliamentary election. As a result, he was jailed for 15 days for “defying a government official.”
After Putin won his re-election in March 2012, he also accused many political figures of corruption. Throughout that year, Navalny was charged with a number of crimes. He adamantly rejected all of the allegations against him and asserted that they are politically motivated.
In 2020, Navalny fell sick and was hospitalized in a coma. His team suspected that he was poisoned by the Kremlin, an accusation that was denied by Russian officials.
He was then arrested in January 2021 for two and a half years due to his parole violation. His sentence was then extended by nine years for embezzlement and contempt of court in a case his supporters rejected as fabricated.
In August of 2023, he was convicted of extremism and his time behind bars was raised by 19 years.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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