"Navalny's Death: Intelligence Agent Visited Prison Beforehand... CCTV Disconnected"

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (47) was reportedly visited by Russian intelligence officials at the prison before his death, raising suspicions about their suspicious behavior.

On the 17th (local time), the British daily The Times cited a report from the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) branch, reporting claims that Federal Security Service (FSB) officials visited the prison where Navalny was held, disconnecting and dismantling some security cameras and wiretapping devices.

It added, "The suspicious points go beyond just the visit by FSB officials," and "The Russian authorities announced and mentioned Navalny's death at a remote Siberian prison about 1930 km away from Moscow surprisingly quickly."

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who suddenly died on the 16th
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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According to the human rights organization Gulagu.net, the prison authorities issued a "pre-prepared" announcement just two minutes after Navalny's death was officially reported. Gulagu.net claimed, "This means that everything was planned and coordinated in advance, even before the Federal Penitentiary Service's announcement."

Additionally, according to the Russian independent media Novaya Gazeta, an anonymous inmate who was in the same prison as Navalny said that multiple unidentified vehicles entered the prison premises between the evening and night before Navalny's death. He said, "I think Navalny died much earlier than the announced time."

The inmate stated, "Prisoners already heard that Navalny had died at 10 a.m. on the 16th," which is about four hours earlier than the officially reported time of death at 2:17 p.m. He claimed, "This situation would have given the Russian authorities more than four hours to prepare their response."

The media also reported claims that Navalny was kept in the exercise yard for about four hours in temperatures around minus 20 degrees Celsius on the day of his death. The Times explained, "The accuracy of these claims cannot be verified, but Novaya Gazeta is a highly regarded opposition media outlet."

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who suddenly died on the 16th
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Navalny, who founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation in 2011, led anti-government movements by exposing corruption among high-ranking Russian officials and was considered President Vladimir Putin's greatest political rival. He was sentenced to over 30 years in prison on charges including illegal acquisition of funds, extremist activities, and fraud, and had been serving his sentence since January 2021. He suddenly died on the 16th at the No. 3 prison in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the northernmost Siberian region of Russia.

The Russian Federal Penitentiary Service stated on the 16th, "Navalny was in poor condition after a walk and lost consciousness almost immediately." Medical staff performed emergency measures but confirmed Navalny's death and said they are investigating the exact cause according to procedures.

However, Navalny's associates expressed suspicion over the sudden news of his death, noting that "his health had been good recently," especially as it came just a month before the presidential election (March 15-17), where President Putin was expected to secure a fifth term.

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