NewsOver 100 arrests in Russia following opposition leader Alexei Navalny's prison death

Over 100 arrests in Russia following opposition leader Alexei Navalny's prison death

Protests in Russia following the death of Alexei Navalny
Protests in Russia following the death of Alexei Navalny
Images source: © EPA, PAP | ANATOLY MALTSEV

6:31 AM EST, February 17, 2024

Prior to this, independent Russian media had reported about the arrest of approximately 40 individuals in cities like Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Nizhny Novgorod.

Protests across Russia following Navalny's death

The Russian prison services announced on Friday that Alexei Navalny died unexpectedly in a penal colony near the Arctic Circle in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, in the Far North. According to them, Navalny "felt uncomfortable" and "lost consciousness." Despite the emergency medical services being called and attempts made at resuscitation, the prison services insist that the opposition leader succumbed.

Navalny was arrested and imprisoned three years ago this past January after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was recovering from a probable assassination attempt likely orchestrated by the Russian special services. The authorities have initiated additional criminal cases against him, resulting in sentences of more than 30 years of imprisonment.

In the wake of Navalny's death, protests were conducted in various locations worldwide, including Estonia, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Hungary. Protests also occurred in Krakow and Warsaw.

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