On the TV screen, Alexei Navalny, the imprisoned opposition leader, was observed looking out of a barred window, exchanging laughter and making light of his diminishing funds and the judge’s salary. Despite his incarceration, the 47-year-old seemed upbeat as he provided testimony via videolink on Thursday, with court officials captured on camera sharing smiles and enjoying the banter. A day later, Russia’s prison service declared his death after he collapsed and lost consciousness at the penal colony north of the Arctic Circle, where he was serving an extended sentence.
Navalny, a prominent figure in Russia’s opposition, rose to prominence over ten years ago through his satirical commentary on the elite surrounding President Vladimir Putin. Exhibiting his characteristic humor during his final appearance on Thursday, dressed in a black prison uniform, he quipped, “Your Honour, I will send you my personal account number so that you can use your huge salary as a federal judge to ‘warm up’ my personal account because I am running out of money.” According to the online news outlet SOTA, the court session was convened following an “argument” with a prison officer attempting to confiscate Navalny’s pen. Navalny later disclosed that he had been handed a 15-day sentence in solitary confinement.
Who was Alexei Navalny?
Born in Butyn to parents of Ukrainian and Russian descent, Navalny was raised in Obninsk, approximately 100 kilometers southwest of Moscow. He earned a law degree from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia in 1998 and pursued further studies in securities and exchanges at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. Despite his escalating political activities, Navalny practiced as an advocate for over a decade.
In 2000, Navalny joined the Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko and secured a position on the regional council of the party’s Moscow branch two years later. Over the next decade, he advanced within the party ranks, engaging in various projects, some unrelated to political parties. Navalny initiated a youth social movement named DA! – Democratic Alternative and spearheaded numerous political debates.
Navalny had been in Russian custody since January 2021, following his return to Moscow after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he attributed to the Kremlin. Prior to his arrest, he actively campaigned against official corruption and played a pivotal role in organizing significant anti-Kremlin protests.