South Korea Urges Thorough Probe into Navalny’s Sudden Death

The South Korean government stated on the 19th that a “thorough investigation is necessary” regarding the death of Russian anti-government activist Alexei Navalny.

A South Korean foreign ministry official said on the same day, “We mourn the death of Navalny, who fought for freedom and democracy in Russia,” and added, “A thorough and transparent investigation must be conducted regarding his sudden death.”

Navalny, who was considered the biggest enemy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reportedly died on the 16th at the third prison in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region in the northernmost part of Siberia.

The Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) announced, “Navalny was not feeling well after a walk and lost consciousness almost immediately” and “Despite medical staff’s attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation for over 30 minutes, he eventually passed away.” They added, “We are investigating the exact cause of death according to procedure.”

Navalny is classified as a prominent enemy of President Putin. He was arrested in January 2021 after continuing activities such as exposing various corruption and abuses of power by President Putin and his confidants. Afterward, Navalny was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of extremism, fraud, and contempt of court from the authorities and has been serving his sentence.