According to Russia’s federal penitentiary service, Opposition leader Alexei Navalny died on Friday at the Arctic prison colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence.
Navalny became unconscious while taking a walk and the prison service reported that he was unable to be resuscitated by medical professionals.

“Resuscitation efforts were made, but the outcomes were unsatisfactory. Paramedics affirmed the prisoner’s passing. The reasons behind the deaths are being determined.”

Meanwhile, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, his wife Yulia Navalnaya said she was skeptical about the news of her husband’s death because it had come from Russian government sources. “We cannot trust Putin and the Putin government. They always lie,” said Navalnaya, who was solemn and tearful.

“But if this is true, I want Putin, his entire entourage, Putin’s friends, his government to know that they will bear responsibility for what they did to our country, to my family, to my husband. And this day will come very soon,” she said.

47-year-old Alexei Navalny appeared well and cheerful as he gave testimony by videolink on Thursday. The camera panned away to show the court officials grinning along with him, enjoying the banter. On the television screen, he peered through a barred window, laughing and cracking jokes about his depleting funds and the judge’s salary.