Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny dead at 47

Navalny’s mother Lyudmila told Novaya Gazeta, “I do not want to hear any condolences. I saw my son in prison on 12 February, when we went to visit him. He was alive, healthy and cheerful.”

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Navalny’s wife Yulia said that upon hearing the news she had wondered “whether to come here or to fly straight to my children. Then I thought about what Alexey Navalny would do, and I’m sure he’d be here, standing on this stage.”

She added that if the news turned out to be true, she wanted “Putin and his entire entourage, his friends and his government to know that they will be held accountable for what they have done to our country, to my family and to my husband. And that day will soon come.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that “no special measures” would be necessitated by Navalny’s death. “As far as we know, now, in accordance with all the current rules, the FSIN is making all necessary checks and enquiries,” adding that there was “a certain set of rules on this matter, by which the Federal Penitentiary Service is guided".

Peskov added that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of Navalny’s death.

Navalny’s spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said that Navalny’s team had received no information about the politician’s death.

“The Federal Penitentiary Service Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District is spreading the news of Alexey Navalny’s death in penal colony-3. We have no confirmation of this yet. Alexey’s lawyer is now flying to Kharp. As soon as we know anything, we will announce it,” Yarmysh said.

The Public Supervisory Commission of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District said that Navalny had not complained of ill health in the run up to his sudden death.

Media outlet SOTAvision has posted the footage from Navalny’s court hearing at which he appeared via video link on Thursday. “Alexey [was] chipper, healthy and cheerful,” the journalists wrote.