RUSSIA
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in jail aged 47: what was the cause of death?
After an agonising wait for the Russian activist’s family ended with the vague announcement of a sudden death.
The sudden death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison has been harshly rebuked by Western government across the globe, triggering condemnation from world leaders and renewed scrutiny of Russia’s human rights record. Navalny, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, was serving a lengthy prison sentence on what many viewed as politically motivated charges since his return to Russia in 2021.
The Russian prison service announced the cause of death to be sudden death syndrome (SDS).
“When Alexei’s lawyer and mother arrived at the colony this morning, they were told that the cause of Navalny’s death was sudden death syndrome,” Ivan Zhdanov, who directs Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said on social media platform X.
What is sudden death syndrome?
Sudden death syndrome (SDS) refers to various medical conditions that lead to sudden death, though it is most commonly associated with cardiac-related events, particularly in seemingly healthy individuals with no prior symptoms or known heart conditions.
Despite numerous appeals from the international community for his release and access to adequate medical care, Navalny’s health reportedly deteriorated rapidly before his untimely demise. His supporters have long accused the Russian authorities of neglecting his medical needs and subjecting him to harsh conditions as a form of punishment for his activism in the freezing cold prison.
The circumstances surrounding Navalny’s death are shrouded in controversy and have prompted calls for an independent investigation to uncover the truth. While Russian officials have denied any wrongdoing and attributed Navalny’s death to natural causes, skepticism abounds both domestically and internationally.
Navalny’s passing marks a significant loss for the Russian opposition movement and leaves a void in the fight for democracy and human rights in the country.