Jailed Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny has died, the Russian prison service said.
Navalny’s spokesperson said his lawyer is traveling to the Siberian penal colony where the opposition figure was serving multiple sentences for fraud, extremism and other charges he denied as politically motivated.
Navalny made global headlines when he was poisoned with a nerve agent in 2020. The CNN film chronicling the attempted assassination airs Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on CNN and is streaming on Max.
Biden’s comments came as Russians risked detention Friday night in Moscow and elsewhere across the country, attending rallies and vigils in Navalny’s honor.
Navalny had been serving multiple sentences in a maximum security prison for fraud, extremism and other charges he denied as politically motivated. He was arrested shortly after returning to Russia following his recovery from a 2020 poisoning attempt that nearly killed him.
A chorus of European leaders have also been quick to blame the Putin regime. Russia’s prison service, which reported the death Friday, says “all necessary measures” were taken to save Navalny after he “felt unwell after a walk,” and that an investigation is underway.
Here’s the latest:
More from Biden: Biden said the US doesn’t yet know “exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that the death of Navalny was the consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did.” The US president said the opposition leader had “bravely stood up to the corruption, the violence, and all the bad things that the Putin government was doing.” He also said reports of Navalny’s death should galvanize the United States to provide funding for Ukraine in the war against Russia. Elsewhere in Washington, Sens. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, and Bill Cassidy, a Republican, will introduce a bill to rename a section of a street near the Russian ambassador’s residence “Alexei Navalny Way.”
Dozens detained in Russia: At least 100 people have been detained across Russia for attending vigils and rallies following Navalny’s death, according to OVD-Info, a human rights group that monitors Russian repression. Rallies sprung up in cities from Rostov-on-Don to St. Petersburg and the capital of Moscow. Many Muscovites who spoke to CNN on Friday described a sense of hopelessness. “You begin to have a desire to leave because you stop believing in positive changes,” said Artur, a 27-year-old biologist interviewed by Agence France-Presse.
Analysis: CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh said Navanly’s death comes at an unexpected time for Russia and the Kremlin. It does not seem that Putin needed Navalny to die now. The dissident’s voice had been quieted as he served time on the Arctic circle. “Yet still, Vladimir Putin felt a degree of threat,” Paton Walsh wrote. News of Navalny’s death came shortly before Russia’s presidential election, scheduled to take place on March 17, where Putin is widely expected to win a fifth term.
This post has been updated with the latest total of people detained at protests and vigils.
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Hillary Clinton says Navalny's death is a warning to those who think they can "make a deal" with Putin
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks with NN's Christiane Amanpour on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, February 16.
CNN
Alexey Navalny’s reported death sends a strong message to people in the United States who think they can “somehow make a deal” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told CNN.
Clinton described the Russian opposition figure’s death as “tragic” in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
The former secretary of state said Navalny’s death sends a message to “people in Europe and in the United States” who “think that you can somehow make a deal with Putin.”
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Over 100 detained across Russia for attending Navalny vigils, says human rights group
From CNN’s Eve Brennan and Uliana Pavlova
A frame from video from independent Russian news outlet SOTA, shows hows a skirmish between police and a protester in Moscow on Fridday, February 16.
SOTA
At least 100 people have been detained across Russia for attending vigils and rallies following the reported death of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, according to OVD-Info, a human rights group that monitors Russian repression.
There have been detentions across the country, including in Murmansk, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod and St. Petersburg.
At the many vigils across the country, people paid their respects to Navalny, including laying down flowers and carrying posters, social media and news agency videos show. Police are also seen walking some attendees into police vans.
It’s unclear how many people have been detained. OVD-Info reports some of those detained have already been released.
The office of the prosecutor in Moscow warned Russians earlier Friday that demonstrations in the capital were not authorized and that attendees could be placed under administrative arrest.
This post has been updated with the latest total of Russians detained.
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Navalny had denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine from prison. Read up on war developments here
From CNN's Haley Britzky, Olga Voitovych and Nadine Schmidt
Since he was imprisoned in 2021, Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine via social media and encouraged anti-war protests across the country.
The reported death of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most high-profile critic punctuates a crackdown on dissidence in Russia that has accelerated during the war.
Here’s the latest on Russia’s war in Ukraine:
Attacks continue: At least five people were killed and five injured in Russian attacks in the Kharkiv, Kherson and Donetsk regions of Ukraine in the past 24 hours, local officials said Friday.
Frontline battle: Ukraine’s Third Separate Assault Brigade said at least 15,000 enemy troops are fighting on the front line in the town of Avdiivka, located in the eastern Donetsk region. Russia has been pummeling the town with airstrikes and artillery, while launching wave after wave of ground assaults by armored vehicles and soldiers. Ukraine’s new army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov this week visited soldiers on the front lines there.
A senior US defense official said Friday that Ukrainian forces fighting in Avdiivka are “running short on critical supplies, particularly ammunition.”
Uncertain future: The senior US defense official issued a stark warning on Friday that if Congress does not approve more funding for security assistance to Ukraine, the US will not be able to provide Ukraine more air defenses, which will lead to more cities being “bombarded.”
Cost of war: The US estimated the war in Ukraine has cost Russia up to $211 billion in efforts to upkeep operations, a senior defense official told reporters on Friday, and it has cost Russia an expected $1.3 trillion in lost economic growth.
All of that is in addition to personnel losses, the official said. Officials estimate Russian forces have lost 315,000 people. The official also said Ukrainian forces have “sunk, destroyed, or damaged” at least 20 “medium-to-large Russian Federation Navy vessels” and one Russian tanker in the Black Sea.
Agreement with Germany: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday secured new military aid and signed a long-term security agreement with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. The security agreement, which will last for 10 years, commits Germany to supporting Ukraine with military aid and hitting Russia with sanctions and export controls, and ensuring that Russian assets remain frozen.
The latest battleground map:
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"Hope dies": Muscovites react to reports of Navalny's death
From CNN’s Eve Brennan
Moscow residents reacted to the news of Alexey Navalny’s reported death on Friday, with some describing it as “fate” while others said they are “shocked.”
Some Muscovites laid flowers and a photo of Navalny at a makeshift memorial in the Russian capital, according to Reuters footage.
Valeria, a 23-year-old tour guide, called Navalny a “symbol” in an interview with Agence France-Presse.
Artur, a 27-year-old biology student, told AFP:
Vladimir, an 84-year-old former psychologist, called Navalny “a simply fundamental element of life for us.”
Moscow resident Alexander told Reuters he thought Navalny’s death was “expected,” adding, “The news said he was being kept in bad conditions that weren’t fit to live in.”
Meanwhile, Muscovite Tatiana said: “Anything can happen in life. I think it’s fate, honestly.”
Another Moscow resident, Mikhail, said he believes “enemies” of Russia “should be dealt with, the sooner the better.”
“Glory to our world freedom and our president,” he said.
Navalny’s supporters: Navalny garnered a sizable support base during his political career, organizing anti-government street protests, and using his blog and social media to expose alleged corruption in the Kremlin and in Russian business.
He and his supporters claimed his arrest and incarceration in 2021 were politically motivated, intended to muzzle his dissent against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
CNN’s Anna Chernova, Niamh Kennedy and Christian Edwards contributed reporting.
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Moscow prosecutor's office warns protests related to Navalny's death are not authorized
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
The prosecutor’s office in Moscow has warned that any demonstrations in the Russian capital over the reported death of Alexey Navalny have not been authorized.
In a statement posted on its official website Friday, the prosecutor addressed individuals considering participating in a “mass action” in Moscow city center.
The prosecutor warned that both appeals to participate and participation in unauthorized mass actions constitute offenses under Russian law and could result in individuals being placed under administrative arrest.
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In pictures: Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny
From CNN Digital's Photo Team
Jailed Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny has died at the age of 47, the Russian prison service said Friday.
Navalny “felt unwell after a walk” and “almost immediately” lost consciousness, the prison service said. It said it was investigating his “sudden death.”
Navalny had long been a thorn in the side of President Vladimir Putin, exposing corruption in high places, campaigning against the ruling United Russia party, and orchestrating some of the biggest anti-government protests seen in recent years.
He returned to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated after being poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. Upon his return, he was swiftly arrested on charges he dismissed as politically motivated.
Alexey Navalny is seen behind the bars of a police van in Moscow after he was detained during protests in 2012.
Sergey Ponomarev/AP
Navalny listens to opposition leader Garry Kasparov as a committee meets in January 2012 to discuss a new protest in Moscow.
Anton Golubev/Reuters
Navalny and other members of Russia's opposition march in St. Petersburg, Russia, in February 2012. They were in Vladimir Putin's native city, demonstrating against his likely return to the Kremlin.
Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images
A journalist films Navalny's apartment in Moscow after it was searched by police in June 2012.
Mikhail Voskresensky/Reuters
Navalny gestures during an appeal hearing at a court in Moscow in March 2017. He was sentenced to 15 days behind bars for resisting police during the opposition rally.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
Navalny poses for a photo after unknown attackers splashed him in the face with an antiseptic green dye in April 2017. The attack caused vision damage in one eye.
Evgeny Feldman/Navalny Campaign via AP
Navalny, along with other opposition supporters in Moscow, pays tribute to the victims of a shopping mall fire in Siberia in March 2018.
Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images
Navalny is surrounded by his wife, Yulia, and two children, Zakhar and Daria, while on a hospital bed in Berlin in September 2020. On social media, he said he was breathing on his own without medical support.
Alexey Navalny/Instagram/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Navalny takes his seat on a Moscow-bound plane before taking off from Berlin in January 2021. Navalny was detained by police moments after landing in Russia.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
Navalny appears on video from the Arctic penal colony where he was serving prison time in January 2024. He died in February. Navalny "felt unwell after a walk" and "almost immediately" lost consciousness, the Russian prison service said Friday. It said it was investigating his "sudden death."
Timing of Navalny's death suggests Putin "felt a degree of threat," CNN journalist says
From CNN's Nick Paton Walsh and Sana Noor Haq
In the weeks preceding Alexey Navalny’s reported death on Friday, concerns for his welfare intensified after he was taken to a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle.
The timing of his death is significant “because it shows us something about how (Russian President) Vladimir Putin feels at this particular time,” according to CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh.
It came shortly before Russia’s presidential election, scheduled to take place on March 17, where Putin is widely expected to win a fifth term in a move that would see him retain power until at least 2030.
European leaders blame Putin: The exact circumstances of Navalny’s death are unknown, but “we are hearing leading European politicians pointing the finger at the Kremlin,” added Paton Walsh. A growing chorus of European leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre have already cast blame on Moscow.
“Ultimately, you could not have a more sore reminder of the urgency of the danger that Vladimir Putin places to Europe with the Ukraine war entering into its third year, and to his own population in that autocratic environment,” Paton Walsh said.
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UN secretary-general calls Navalny's death "shocking" and expects investigation into circumstances
From CNN’s Richard Roth and Eve Brennan
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says the death of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny is “shocking,” according to United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
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Biden says Navalny’s death underscores need for more Ukraine funding
From CNN's Michael Williams
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the death of Alexey Navalny in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Friday.
Evan Vucci/AP
US President Joe Biden on Friday said reports of the death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny should galvanize the United States to provide funding for Ukraine’s war against Russia.
The United States has to “provide funding so Ukraine can keep defending itself,” the president said in remarks from the White House, hours after the Russian prison service reported Navalny’s death.
Failure to provide further funding “will never be forgotten,” Biden said.
“The clock is ticking,” the president added. “This has to happen.”
Biden was asked by reporters whether there was any way to get additional ammunition to Ukraine without the passage of a supplemental funding bill by Congress.
“No, but it’s about time they step up, don’t you think? Instead of going on a two-week vacation,” he said, referencing two-week breaks in both the House and Senate this month.
Biden raised his voice: “Two weeks, they’re walking away. Two weeks. What are they thinking? My God, this is bizarre, and it’s just reinforcing all of the concern and almost — I won’t say ‘panic’ — but real concern about the United States being a reliable ally.”
Asked whether Navalny’s reported death would burgeon support for additional funding from members of Congress, Biden said, “I hope to God it helps.”
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Biden says "Putin is responsible for Navalny's death"
US President Joe Biden says he holds Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible after the Russian prison service announced that opposition figure Alexey Navalny has died in prison.
The president said he was “outraged” by the news.
Navalny “bravely stood up to the corruption, the violence, and all the bad things that the Putin government was doing. In response, Putin had him poisoned, he had him arrested, he had him prosecuted for fabricated crimes,” Biden said.
“Even in prison, he was a powerful voice for the truth,” he said.
“He could have lived safely in exile after the assassination attempt on him in 2020, which nearly killed him,” he said. “Instead, he returned to Russia — knowing he’d likely be imprisoned, maybe killed if he continued his work. But he did it anyway. Because he believed so deeply in his country, in Russia,” the president continued.
Remember: The exact circumstances of Navalny’s death are unknown, but world leaders have roundly cast the blame on Putin and his autocratic regime, to which Navalny posed a huge political and symbolic threat.
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NOW: Biden addresses Navalny's reported death from the White House
The White House said the president would speak ahead of his planned visit to East Palestine, Ohio, later Friday.
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Navalny's death sends shockwaves throughout the world. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Alexey Navalny sits inside a police van after he was detained during protests in Moscow in 2012.
Sergey Ponomarev/AP/FILE
Jailed Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny has died, the Russian prison service said on Friday, prompting an outpouring of anger and grief on the world stage and blame pinned on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his brutal regime.
Just hours before his death, Navalny joked with a court judge in western Russia about how he was running short of money on Thursday, video footage shows.
Below are the latest developments:
What we know: On Friday, the Russian prison service said Navalny “felt unwell after a walk” and “almost immediately” lost consciousness. It said it was investigating his “sudden death.” Labytnang City Hospital told Russian state-run media RIA Novosti that it was trying to resuscitate Navalny for more than half an hour. Alexey Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, last saw her son in prison on Monday and he was “healthy and cheerful,” she is quoted as telling Russian independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta.
Reaction: World leaders have pointed the finger at Putin over Navalny’s sudden death. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters who were traveling with him in Munich, Germany, on Friday that “Russia is responsible for this,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in Berlin: ”Alexey Navalny died in a Russian prison - it is obvious for me that he was killed.” European leaders have paid tribute to Navalny, with President of the European Council Charles Michelwriting in a post on X: “Alexey Navalny fought for the values of freedom and democracy. For the sake of his ideals, he made the ultimate sacrifice.” Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government will be “brought to justice” for the death of her husband.
Analysis: CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh said Navanly’s death comes at an unexpected time for Russia and the Kremlin. It does not seem that Putin needed Navalny to die now. The dissident’s voice had been quietened. He had been reduced to a whisper from the Arctic Circle, confined to a prison regime that might itself have proven a threat to the health of a man who had already survived a vicious poison attack on a plane in 2020. Presidential elections are a month away. Navalny was not a candidate, and never stood a chance to be one in the closed system of managed democracy Putin has espoused since 2004.
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Trudeau says Navalny's death is a reminder of "what a monster Putin is"
From CNN’s Paula Newton
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the media in July 2023.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images/FILE
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the reported death of Russian activist Alexey Navalny has him “reeling.”
“He was such a strong fighter for democracy, for freedoms for the Russian people, it really shows the extent to which Putin has will crack down on anyone who is fighting for freedom, for the Russian people,” he said during a radio interview with CBC News in Winnipeg Friday morning.
“There is no question that Alexey Navalny is dead because he stood up to Putin, he stood up to the Kremlin, he stood for freedom and democracy and the right of the Russian people to choose their future and that was something that Putin was deeply afraid of,” said the prime minister. He added that Canada and Western countries need to continue to stand up to Putin.
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US Homeland Security secretary says Navalny's reported death "speaks to the depravity" of Putin
From CNN's DJ Judd
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas attends a news conference on February 7.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
If confirmed, the reports of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny’s death mark “tragic news for the world,” US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview Friday.
The Homeland Security secretary also criticized Republicans in the US House of Representatives for blocking additional aid to Ukraine for its war against Russia. Still, he expressed hope the US would ultimately be able to marshal support for Ukraine in resisting Russia’s invasion.
“I have optimism that we will come together to meet the imperative,” he said.
Remember: The exact circumstances of Navalny’s death are unknown, but world leaders have roundly cast the blame on Putin and his autocratic regime, to whom Navalny posed a huge political and symbolic threat.
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Navalny's spokesperson says reports that opposition figure has died are "most likely" true
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
A spokesperson forRussian opposition figure Alexey Navalny says the reports from Russian state media announcing his death in prison are “most likely true.”
Speaking on a YouTube livestream Friday afternoon, spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said Navalny’s lawyer and relatives will travel early Saturday morning to the Siberian colony where he was transferred last December.
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Navalny is the latest in a long line of Putin critics who met an untimely death
From CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse
Alexey Navalny addresses supporters and journalists in Moscow in 2013.
Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters/FILE
When Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny returned to Russia in 2021, many feared he would face an untimely end. That became a reality on Friday with his death at a brutal Arctic Circle penal colony, where he had been incarcerated.
He was the most prominent voice of dissent in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the lawyer, politician and corruption activist had for years orchestrated massive street protests and famously branded Putin’s United Russia party “the party of crooks and thieves.” Despite languishing in prison, he denounced the president over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and advocating anti-war demonstrations across the country.
The Kremlin has said it is investigating the critic’s death, the circumstances of which were not immediately clear.
What is known is that Navalny has joined the apparently ever-growing list of high-profile Russians who have died in mysterious circumstances. From plane crashes, accidental falls from windows to hangings, poisonings and health issues, the fates of some of those who dared to challenge the Kremlin are myriad.
Read more about Navalny and other critics of Putin who have met untimely deaths.
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UN Human Rights Office "appalled" at Navalny's death, urges end to persecution in Russia
From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite
Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny appears on a screen via video link from the IK-6 penal colony during a court hearing to consider an appeal against his sentence on September 26, 2023.
Yulia Morozova/Reuters
The UN Human Rights office is “appalled” at the reported news of Alexey Navalny’s death and called on the Russian authorities “to end the persecution of politicians, human rights defenders and journalists,” the office’s spokesperson Liz Throssell said Friday in a statement.
“Last August, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk highlighted that the latest 19-year sentence raised questions about judicial harassment and instrumentalization of the court system for political purposes in Russia and called for Navalny’s release,” Throssell added.
The statement continued: “We call on the Russian authorities to end the persecution of politicians, human rights defenders and journalists, among others.”
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Protesters gather outside Russian embassies in Europe following Navalny's reported death
From CNN's Sophie Tanno
Protesters have gathered outside the Russian embassies in European capital cities after news broke Friday that jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny had died.
Outside the embassy in Berlin, supporters of Navalny waved placards reading “Putin is a killer,” and “Putin to the Hague.”
In Paris, protesters held signs reading “Putin assassin,” and “Putin is a murderer.”
Meanwhile, outside the Russian embassy in London, flowers have been laid in honor of the outspoken Kremlin critic.
People hold placards as they gather in front of the Russian embassy in Berlin, Germany, on February 16.
Liesa Johannsen/Reuters
People hold placards as they gather near the Russian embassy following the death of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, in Paris, France, on February 16.
Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
A woman lays floral tribute opposite the Russian Embassy in London, on February 16, in reaction to the news that jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died in a Russian prison.
Kin Cheung/AP
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Navalny urged prison officers to vote against Putin during one of his final court appearances
From Simon Cullen
In a video showing one of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny's final public appearances before his death, posted on February 8, he instructs penitentiary workers to vote ''for any candidate against Putin'' during a hearing via video link.
Tel
In one of Alexey Navalny’s final court appearances before his death, he urged prison service workers to vote against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Video of his February 8 appearance was shared by Navalny’s supporters at the time.
“I made a list of people I talk to and took upon myself, as my socialist duty, to give this recommendation for each one of them. And that is why I give it to you. And I hope you will follow it.”
A spokesperson said Friday that the Kremlin critic’s lawyer is traveling to the Siberian penal colony where Navalny had been serving his sentence, after Russian prison officials announced his death. His mother said she had just seen Navalny for a visit this week, and he was “alive, healthy and cheerful.”
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Biden has been briefed on Navalny death reports
From CNN's Arlette Saenz
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on reports of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny’s death in prison, a White House official says.
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How Navalny once helped solve the mystery of his own poisoning
From CNN's Tim Lister, Clarissa Ward and Sebastian Shukla
When Alexey Navalny was still recovering at a secret location in Germany in 2020, he duped a Russian spy — Konstantin Kudryavtsev — into revealing how the opposition figure was poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok.
Navalny later shared details with CNN and the group Bellingcat, as part of an investigation which implicated the Russian Security Service (FSB) in Navalny’s poisoning. The reporting found that the FSB toxins team of about six to 10 agents trailed Navalny for more than three years.
At the time, the opposition figure posed as a senior official from Russia’s National Security Council tasked with carrying out an analysis of the poisoning operation. His phone number was disguised as that of the headquarters of the FSB, according to Navalny’s team and a recording of the call later provided to CNN and Bellingcat.
Navalny phoned Kudryavtsev, who provided a detailed account of how the nerve agent was applied to a pair of Navalny’s underpants. But the agent was not speaking to an official in Russia’s National Security Council as he thought: He was talking to Navalny himself, who almost died after being poisoned in August.
Navalny had long been a thorn in the side of President Vladimir Putin, exposing corruption in high places and campaigning against the ruling United Russia party.
Russia denied involvement in Nalvany’s 2020 poisoning.
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Navalny’s wife calls on international community to fight against Putin's "horrific" regime
From CNN's Simon Cullen
Yulia Navalnaya, wife of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, reacts as she speaks during the Munich Security Conference, in Munich, Germany, on February 16.
Kai Pfaffenbach/AP
Alexey Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, urged the international community to fight against Putin’s “horrific” regime after her husband’s reported death on Friday.
She told delegates at the Munich Security Conference in Germany that she does not have confirmation about her husband’s death — only the reports via state media.
“I would like to call upon all the international community – all the people in the world. We should come together, and we should fight against this evil. We should fight this horrific regime in Russia today. This regime, and Vladimir Putin, should be personally held responsible for all the atrocities they have committed in our country.”
Navalnaya received a standing ovation for her address.
Remember: The exact circumstances of the opposition figure’s death are unknown, but world leaders have roundly cast the blame on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his autocratic regime, to whom Navalny posed a huge political and symbolic threat.
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Navalny appeared in court on Thursday joking with judge, hours before his death
From CNN's Sergey Gudkov
Alexey Navalny joked with a court judge in western Russia about how he was running short of money on Thursday — just hours before his reported death.
The late Kremlin critic appeared in court via video link.
Records from a court in Kovrov, Russia, in the Vladimir region confirm three hearings were scheduled for Thursday.
Navalny was arrested and detained when he returned to Russia in 2021, where he had been treated after being poisoned with the nerve agent, Novichok.
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Navalny in CNN documentary: “My message for the situation when I am killed is very simple: not give up"
From CNN's David Rind
In 2022, the CNN Films documentary “Navalny” chronicled the aftermath of Alexey Navalny’s poisoning.
In the film, director Daniel Roher asked Navalny what message he would want to leave for the Russian people if he were to be killed.
“My message for the situation when I am killed is very simple: not give up,” Navalny said in English.
Then, Roher asked him to answer it in Russian.
“I’ve got something very obvious to tell you. You’re not allowed to give up,” Navalny said. “If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong. We need to utilize this power, to not give up, to remember we are a huge power that is being oppressed by these bad dudes.
Roher later told CNN’s David Rind on the ‘Tug of War’ podcast why he asked Navalny to switch languages.
“I thought that the power of that was quite significant and symbolic because he is now in prison in a gulag outside of Moscow,” Roher said. “Let the last word of this would-be president be to his people.”
A special encore of ”CNN Films: Navalny” will air on CNN US and CNNI on Saturday, February 17 at 9 p.m. ET (Sunday 0300 CET).
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Navalny's wife says Kremlin leaders "will be brought to justice" for his death
From CNN's Simon Cullen
Yulia Navalnaya, wife of Alexey Navalny, delivers a speech at the security conference in Munich, Germany, on February 16.
Sven Hoppe/picture alliance/Getty Images
Alexey Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government will be “brought to justice” for the death of her husband.
“I want them to know that they will be punished for what they have done with our country, with my family, and with my husband,” she said at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, adding that she does not have confirmation of her husband’s death.
The news of Navalny’s death came on Friday as world leaders gathered at the conference in southern Germany, where US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Navalnaya and “expressed his condolences,” according to a State Department spokesperson.
Stalwart figure: Navalnaya remained a staunch advocate of her husband as he rose to prominence first as a blogger, then as an outspoken opposition figure in Russia.
She remained largely outside the spotlight until August 2020, when her husband was poisoned with the nerve agent, Novichok. After he fell gravely ill, Navalnaya made regular media appearances to bolster her husband’s campaign – pushing her into the center stage of a battle with the Russian state.
Navalnaya, her late husband and their two children have been under constant surveillance by the Kremlin for years. But her image of a stoic, calm, and collected woman became a story in its own right.
CNN’s Mary Ilyushina and Alex Marquardt contributed reporting.
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Analysis: Navalny’s death is a reminder of Putin’s paranoia
Why did this happen now? We know Putin can be calm, pragmatic and opportunistic. But this death comes at an unexpected time for Russia and the Kremlin. It does not seem that Putin needed Navalny to die now. The dissident’s voice had been quietened. He had been reduced to a whisper from the Arctic Circle, confined to a prison regime that might itself have proven a threat to the health of a man who had already survived a vicious poison attack on a plane in 2020.
Presidential elections are a month away. Navalny was not a candidate, and never stood a chance to be one in the closed system of managed democracy Putin has espoused since 2004. He was the most courageous and active opponent Putin faced for decades. Yet his imprisonment in Correctional facility number 3, up in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region, served to some degree as a reminder of what happens to those who stand up to the Kremlin. And with his death, Putin is in a riskier position.
Globally, the focus has switched from Russia’s ascendancy and recovery in its illegal invasion of Ukraine, to its vicious silencing of even the quietest voices of dissent. The Munich Security Conference, set this morning to be an anxious series of reassurances from Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump’s recent remarks and the future of NATO, will now be reminded of Putin’s real and present threat to anyone to stands up to him.
Former UN ambassador and US presidential candidate blames Putin for Navalny's death and rips Trump
From CNN's Ebony Davis
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Nations Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign stop in Bamberg, South Carolina, on February 13.
Julia Nikhinson/Reuters
Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley on Friday blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the reported death of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny and cited the incident to criticize her competitor for the Republican presidential nomination, former US President Donald Trump.
Haley also discussed Navalny’s reported death while appearing on a morning radio show, referring to Trump’s recent comments that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any NATO member country that doesn’t meet spending guidelines on defense.
“That Trump’s siding with a thug who kills his political opponents — by the way, he killed another one this morning,” Haley said. “He’s siding with Putin, who continues to try and destroy America at every turn.”
The US is working to confirm the reports of Navalny’s death, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier Friday.
What Trump has said: In a post to Truth Social early Friday afternoon that Trump’s campaign said was his official response to Navalny’s death, the former president said the US is “no longer respected because we have an incompetent president who is weak and doesn’t understand what the World is thinking.”
In 2020, Trump refused to condemn the poisoning of Navalny, despite a plea from the opposition figure himself for the then-US president to do so.
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Doctors tried to resuscitate Navalny for more than half an hour before his death, hospital told Russian state-run media
From CNN's Katya Krebs and Sharon Braithwaite
An ambulance crew tried to resuscitate Alexey Navalny for more than half an hour, Labytnang City Hospital told Russian state-run media RIA Novosti.
“The doctors who arrived at the scene continued the resuscitation measures that the prison’s doctors had already provided,” the agency’s interlocutor said, according to RIA.
“They carried them out for more than half an hour. However, the patient died.”
“The ambulance team reached the prison in less than seven minutes, and doctors reached the patient two minutes later,” according to the interlocutor.
On Friday, the Russian prison service said Navalny “felt unwell after a walk” and “almost immediately” lost consciousness. It said it was investigating his “sudden death.”
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Reports of Navalny's death are another sign of Putin's brutality, Harris says
From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez
US Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her speech during the opening of the 60th Munich Security Conference (MSC) at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, on February 16.
Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images
US Vice President Kamala Harris said reports that Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has died in a Russian prison is “terrible news” and said “Russia is responsible.”
“We’ve all just received reports that Alexey Navalny has died in Russia. This is, of course, terrible news, which we are working to confirm,” Harris said in remarks at the Munich Security Conference, adding that her prayers are with his family.
She added, “We will have more to say on this later.”
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken also have said the US is working to confirm the reports.
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"I don't want to hear any condolences": Navalny's mother says he was "healthy and cheerful" on Monday
From Sergey Gudkov
Anatoly Navalny (R) and Lyudmila Navalnaya leave the IK-6 penal colony at Melekhovo where Alexey Navalny is jailed, on June 19, 2023.
Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images
Alexey Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, last saw her son in prison on Monday and he was “healthy and cheerful,” she is quoted as telling Russian independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta.
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Navalny's return to Russia after being poisoned "came at a great cost" to him, CNN journalist says
From CNN's Clarissa Ward and Sana Noor Haq
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny and his wife Yulia are seen in a Pobeda plane heading from Berlin to Moscow on January 17, 2021.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images
The late Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny went back to Russia from Germany in 2021 “at a great cost” to him and his family, according to CNN’s Clarissa Ward.
The father-of-two, 47, was nursed to health in a hospital in Berlin, after being poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. On his return to Moscow, he was swiftly arrested on charges he dismissed as politically motivated.
“He was very hands on as a father, but he also had this sense of calling that was unmistakeable that his children understood … even though it came at a great cost,” Ward told CNN’s This Morning on Friday.
In late 2020, Navalny spoke to CNN as part of a joint investigation with the group Bellingcat, which implicated the Russian Security Service (FSB) in Navalny’s poisoning. Russia denied involvement.
Even though the outspoken opposition figure was aware of the dangers in returning to Russia, he came to the decision with “clarity and ease … understanding fully well the risk.”
He felt that serving the people of Russia “fundamentally, on a very deep level, was his calling.”
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Blinken responds to reports of Navalny's death: "Russia is responsible for this"
From CNN's Donald Judd and Jennifer Hansler
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, on February 16.
Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, responding to reports that Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny has died in prison, told reporters who were traveling with him in Munich, Germany, on Friday that “Russia is responsible for this.”
Although Blinken suggested the US is still working to confirm Navalny’s death, he made clear the US sees Russia as responsible for the opposition figure’s demise.
“Beyond that, his death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built,” Blinken continued. “Russia is responsible for this. We’ll be talking to many other countries concerned about Alexey Navalny, especially if these reports bear out to be true.”
Earlier Friday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the administration was “actively seeking confirmation” surrounding the reports.
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Putin has been informed of reports of Navalny’s death, state media reports
Russia's President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting on the implementation of the high speed railway service linking Moscow with St. Petersburg construction project in the town Verkhnyaya Pyshma on February 15.
Alexander Ryumin/AFP/Getty Images
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of reports of Alexey Navalny’s death, state-run media Ria Novosti reports.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson has accused Western leaders of rushing to judgment over Navalny’s death.
Maria Zakharova said the reaction from NATO leaders to Alexey Navalny’s death “reveals their true colours.”
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"It is obvious for me that he was killed": Zelensky says Putin must be held to account for Navalny's death
From CNN's Nadine Schmidt in Berlin
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Germany, on February 16.
Liesa Johannssen/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian leader Vladimir Putin must be held accountable for the death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny, following reports of his death.
”Putin does not care who dies as long as he stays in his position - and this is why he should lose everything. This is why he should lose the war and he should be held accountable for the crimes that were committed on his behalf,” Zelensky went on to say.
”Like thousands of others who have been tortured to death because of this single Russian leader,” Zelensky said.
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European leaders pay tribute to Navalny, saying he fought for "freedom and democracy"
From CNN's Nadine Schmidt, Sophie Tanno and Catherine Nicholls
European leaders have paid tribute to Alexey Navalny and criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin following reports of the jailed Russian opposition figure’s death on Friday.
President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply disturbed and saddened” by news of the death of Navalny.
“Putin fears nothing more than dissent from his own people,” she said on X, formerly Twitter. “A grim reminder of what Putin and his regime are all about. Let’s unite in our fight to safeguard the freedom and safety of those who dare to stand up against autocracy.”
President of the European Council Charles Michel wrote in a post on X: “Alexey Navalny fought for the values of freedom and democracy. For the sake of his ideals, he made the ultimate sacrifice.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Navalny “paid for his courage with his life.”
Scholz said that he was ”very sad” about reports of Navalny’s death, adding it was ”a terrible sign” of how Russia had changed in recent years.
British Foreign Secretary and Former Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in a post on X that “Putin should be accountable for what has happened - no one should doubt the dreadful nature of his regime.”
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Ruttesaid he was “very shocked” by the reports, adding that it “shows the unprecedented brutality of the Russian regime.”
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US seeking confirmation of Navalny's death, national security adviser says
From CNN's Donald Judd
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C, on February 14.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan offered the Biden administration’s first response to reports that Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has died in a Russian prison.
President Joe Biden previously told reporters in 2021 that he warned Russian president Vladimir Putin that the consequences would be “devastating for Russia,” if Navalny died in prison during the US-Russia summit in Geneva, Switzerland.
The administration has repeatedly called for Navalny’s “immediate” release, while CNN has reported Biden called for Navalny’s release in his first phone call with Putin after taking office in 2021.
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"All necessary measures" were taken to try to save Navalny, Russia's prison service says
From CNN's Anna Chernova and Simon Cullen
Jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny is seen on a screen via a video link from the IK-3 penal colony during a hearing of his complaint on restrictions placed on which books and reading material he can access in prison, at the Supreme Court in Moscow, Russia, on January 11.
Vera Savina/AFP/Getty Images
Russia’s prison service says “all necessary measures” were taken to try to save Alexey Navalny.
In a statement, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia (FSIN) said Navalny felt unwell after a walk on Friday and “almost immediately” lost consciousness.
“Medical personnel from the institution arrived promptly, and an ambulance team was called. All necessary resuscitation measures were taken, but they did not yield positive results.
“Emergency medical doctors confirmed the death of the convicted individual.
“The causes of death are being determined.”
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"I love you more and more": Navalny's final social media post on Valentine's Day
From CNN's Anna Chernova
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s final post on social media platform Telegram was on Wednesday, February 14, when he paid tribute to his wife on Valentine’s Day.
The post was made just two days before his death was announced by the Russian prison service on Friday.
“Baby, everything is like a song with you,” the post reads.
“There are cities between us, the take-off light of airfields, blue snowstorms and thousands of kilometers.
“But I feel that you are near every second, and I love you more and more.”
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Navalny made global headlines when he was poisoned with a nerve agent in 2020. Here's how it all unfolded
From CNN's Laura Smith-Spark and Zamira Rahim
Alexey Navalny on a hospital bed surrounded by his wife and two children as his treatment continues at Charite Hospital in Berlin, Germany on September 15, 2020.
Alexey Navalny/Instagram/Anadolu/Getty Images
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny fell gravely ill in August 2020 while on a return flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk. The pilot made an emergency landing in Omsk, where Navalny was taken to hospital for urgent treatment before being transferred to Germany, still critically ill.
The German government said Navalny was poisoned with a chemical agent from the Novichok group, a conclusion supported by two other labs in France and Sweden. Novichok agents are highly unusual, so much so that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with them.
A subsequent Bellingcat-CNN investigation found that an elite team in Russia’s FSB security service, made up of about six to 10 agents, had trailed Navalny for more than three years. One of those agents revealed in a sting that the lethal nerve agent Novichok had been planted in the activist’s underpants.
Despite these revelations, Navalny said he did not believe there would be an investigation in Russia.
Nonetheless, once mostly recovered, the activist announced his plan to go back to Russia, saying: “There was never a question for me whether to return or not, never.”
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US had repeatedly warned Russia over harm to Navalny
From CNN's Shania Shelton
The condition of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny had been repeatedly raised by the Biden administration. US President Joe Biden called for Navalny’s release in his first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin after taking office in 2021, and raised the issue during a summit with his Russian counterpart that June.
“I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Biden said at the time.
He continued, “What do you think happens when he’s saying it’s not about hurting Navalny, all the stuff he says to rationalize the treatment of Navalny, and then he dies in prison?… It’s about trust. It’s about their ability to influence other nations in a positive way.”
The issue had remained at the forefront of US-Russia relations.
“We have communicated to the Russian government that they are responsible for what happens to Mr. Navalny while he’s in their custody and they will be held accountable by the international community,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing in December.
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Navalny spokesperson says lawyer is traveling to town where he was serving his sentence
Exterior view of the IK-3 penal colony in the city of Vladimir, Russia, on April 20, 2021.
Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images
Alexey Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, says Navalny’s lawyer is traveling to Kharp, Russia, where the Kremlin critic had been serving his sentence.
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Inside the infamous Russian penal colony where Navanly was in custody
In January 2024, CNN’s Matthew Chance reported on what life is like inside one of Russia’s notorious penal colonies, nicknamed the “Polar Wolf” for its remote location and proximity to the Arctic.
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was being held here when his death was announced on February 16, 2024, by Russian state media, citing the country’s prison service.
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Navalny was long a thorn in the side of Putin
From CNN's Rob Picheta
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny walks to take his seat in a Pobeda airlines plane heading to Moscow before take-off from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in Schoenefeld, southeast of Berlin, on January 17, 2021.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images
Alexey Navalny had long been a thorn in the side of President Vladimir Putin, exposing corruption in high places, campaigning against the ruling United Russia party, and orchestrating some of the biggest anti-government protests seen in recent years.
He returned to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated after being poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent.
Upon his return, Navalnvy was swiftly arrested on charges he dismissed as politically motivated. He has been incarcerated ever since.
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Jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny dies in prison, prison service says
Alexey Navalny speaks with riot police officers blocking the way during a massive protest rally against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's rule in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2012.
Dmitry Lovetsky/AP
Jailed Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, who made global headlines when he was poisoned with a nerve agent in 2020, has died, the Russian prison service said.
