Over 100 arrests in Russia following opposition leader Alexei Navalny's prison death
Prior to this, independent Russian media had reported about the arrest of approximately 40 individuals in cities like Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Nizhny Novgorod.
6:31 AM EST, February 17, 2024
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.
