Putin critic Alexei Navalny dead says Russian prison service | BBC News

Russia's most significant opposition leader for the past decade, Alexei Navalny, has died in an Arctic Circle jail, the prison service said.

Seen as President Vladimir Putin's most vociferous critic, Navalny was serving a 19-year jail term on charges widely considered politically motivated.

He was moved to one of Russia's toughest penal colonies late last year.

The prison service in the Yamalo-Nenets district said Navalny had "felt unwell" after a walk on Friday.

"The emergency doctors declared the prisoner dead. Cause of death is being established."

Navalny, 47, was last seen only a day ago, looking well and laughing during a court hearing via video link.

Within minutes of Navalny's death being announced by the prison service, the international community hailed the courage of Vladimir Putin's biggest domestic adversary.

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