The jailed activist was serving a sentence in the Yamalo-Nenets region when he was reported dead
16 February 2024 - 13:54
UPDATED 16 February 2024 - 15:52
byFelix Light
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appears on a screen via a video link from the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets region during a hearing against the Ministry of Justice in Supreme Court, in Moscow on January 11 2024. File Picture: REUTERS/MAXIM SHEMETOV
On the television screen, jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny peered through a barred window, laughing and cracking jokes about his depleting funds and the judge’s salary.
The 47-year-old appeared well and cheerful as he gave testimony by video link on Thursday. The camera panned away to show the court officials grinning along with him, enjoying the banter.
A day later, Russia’s prison service said he had died after collapsing and losing consciousness at the penal colony north of the Arctic Circle, where he was serving a long jail term.
The death took place on the same day that an ANC delegation, led by its secretary-general Fikile Mbalula together with the SACP was in Moscow for a gathering to express opposition to neocolonialism. The ANC's participation at the event provided a further demonstration of the governing party’s support for the regime of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Navalny, who was by far Russia’s most famous opposition leader rose to prominence more than a decade ago by lampooning the elite class around Putin.
His trademark humour was back on show on Thursday when he made his last appearance, dressed in a black prison uniform.
“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,” he said.
The online news outlet Sota reported that the court session was convened after an “argument” with a prison officer who tried to confiscate Navalny’s pen. Navalny wrote later on Thursday that he had been given 15 days in solitary confinement.
Since first being jailed in January 2021, Navalny had been in and out of solitary confinement, which is often used to punish rulebreakers in the Russian prison system.
After the hearing, Navalny took to social media. “The Yamal prison decided to break Vladimir’s record of fawning and pleasing the Moscow authorities. They just gave me 15 days in solitary confinement,” he wrote on X.
“This is the fourth solitary confinement spell in less than two months that I have been with them,” he added.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died
The jailed activist was serving a sentence in the Yamalo-Nenets region when he was reported dead
On the television screen, jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny peered through a barred window, laughing and cracking jokes about his depleting funds and the judge’s salary.
The 47-year-old appeared well and cheerful as he gave testimony by video link on Thursday. The camera panned away to show the court officials grinning along with him, enjoying the banter.
A day later, Russia’s prison service said he had died after collapsing and losing consciousness at the penal colony north of the Arctic Circle, where he was serving a long jail term.
The death took place on the same day that an ANC delegation, led by its secretary-general Fikile Mbalula together with the SACP was in Moscow for a gathering to express opposition to neocolonialism. The ANC's participation at the event provided a further demonstration of the governing party’s support for the regime of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Navalny, who was by far Russia’s most famous opposition leader rose to prominence more than a decade ago by lampooning the elite class around Putin.
His trademark humour was back on show on Thursday when he made his last appearance, dressed in a black prison uniform.
“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,” he said.
The online news outlet Sota reported that the court session was convened after an “argument” with a prison officer who tried to confiscate Navalny’s pen. Navalny wrote later on Thursday that he had been given 15 days in solitary confinement.
Since first being jailed in January 2021, Navalny had been in and out of solitary confinement, which is often used to punish rulebreakers in the Russian prison system.
After the hearing, Navalny took to social media. “The Yamal prison decided to break Vladimir’s record of fawning and pleasing the Moscow authorities. They just gave me 15 days in solitary confinement,” he wrote on X.
“This is the fourth solitary confinement spell in less than two months that I have been with them,” he added.
It was the last such message he wrote.
Reuters
Navalny jokes in first video link from new prison
Navalny camp sets strategy to disrupt Putin’s path to another term
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Fighting on the legal front line between truth and power
Putin critic Navalny loses appeal against new 19-year prison term
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.