Lyudmila Ivanovna Navalnaya, the mother of Russian activist Alexei Navalny, has said she saw her son alive and well just days before his death. In a Facebook post on February 16, reported by Novaya Gazeta, she wrote: 'I saw my son in prison on February 12, when we went to visit him. He was alive, healthy and cheerful.' She added that she does 'not want to hear any condolences'.
Navalny, 47, was considered President Vladimir Putin's main political opponent. He died on February 16 at a high-security penal colony in Yamal, near the Arctic Circle, where he had been relocated only weeks earlier. The Yamal directorate of the federal penitentiary service said he felt unwell after a walk, lost consciousness, and died despite resuscitation efforts. The cause of death is under investigation.
On February 15, Russian independent news outlet SOTA published video from a court session showing Navalny in good spirits, joking about running out of spending money. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, expressed doubt about the news and warned that Putin and his staff 'will be punished for what they have done with our country, with our family and with my husband'.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky directly blamed Putin, stating: 'It is obvious to me: He was killed — like other thousands who were tortured to death because of this one man.' UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Navalny the 'fiercest advocate for Russian democracy'. The Kremlin dismissed the accusations, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova saying Western conclusions were 'prepared' without a forensic examination.
