Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died in prison, according to a report from state media agency TASS, citing the country’s prison service. The Russian prison service has stated that it is investigating Navalny’s “sudden death.” Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, has confirmed that his lawyer is traveling to Kharp, where Navalny has been serving his sentence, and stated that they will communicate any further information as soon as it is available.
In August, Navalny had been sentenced to 19 years in prison after being found guilty of creating an extremist community, financing extremist activities, and numerous other crimes. At that time, he was already serving 11 and a half years in a maximum security facility for fraud and other charges that he denied. President Vladimir Putin has been informed of Navalny’s death, according to a report by state-run Ria Novosti.
This is a developing news story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.