Russian opposition leader Navalny dies in prison

MOSCOW, Feb 16 (AFP): Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died Friday in the Arctic prison colony where he was serving a 19-year-term, Russia's federal penitentiary service said.
Western governments immediately attacked the Kremlin over the death of the most outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin.
Navalny lost consciousness after a walk and could not be revived by medics, the prison service said.
"Navalny felt bad after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness. Medical staff arrived immediately and an ambulance team was called," it said.
"Resuscitation measures were carried out which did not yield positive results. Paramedics confirmed the death of the convict. The causes of death are being established."
The 47-year-old was Russia's most prominent opposition leader and won a huge following with his criticism of corruption in Vladimir Putin's Russia.
Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened an investigation into the death.
Navalny's press secretary Kira Yarmysh said his team had not been informed of his death.
"Alexei's lawyer is now flying to Kharp," where his prison colony is, she said in a post on social media.
Citing his spokesman, Russian news agencies reported that Putin had been informed of Navalny's death.
Western governments and Russian opposition figures on Friday said the Kremlin was responsible for his death.
Latvia's president said he had been "brutally murdered by the Kremlin".
"The Russian government bears a heavy responsibility," Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide wrote on X, formerly Twitter. France's foreign minister said Navalny had paid with his life for resisting oppression.
Navalny's exposes, posted on his YouTube channel racked up millions of views and brought tens of thousands of Russians to the streets, despite Russia's harsh anti-protests laws.