- Russian dissident Alexey Navalny became President Vladimir Putin’s biggest opponent.
- He campaigned against fraud and corruption and ran in elections before he was jailed.
- On Friday, Russian officials said he had died suddenly in prison.
Alexey Navalny, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has died in prison, according to Russian officials.
Navalny, 47, had been a thorn in Putin’s side for years — first as an anti-corruption blogger, and later as an independent politician running and campaigning in local and national elections.
Navalny often used humor to take on Putin. He dubbed Putin’s political party United Russia “the party of Crooks and Thieves,” and called Putin “a thieving little man in a bunker.”
In 2020, Navalny almost died after he was poisoned with a nerve agent, allegedly by Russian agents. He was flown to Germany for treatment.
Once he recovered, Navalny returned to Russia knowing he would likely be imprisoned. He was locked in a remote penal colony that’s typically reserved for those accused of violent crimes and incarcerated people serving life terms.
Russia’s prison agency said on Friday that he had died suddenly.