Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death highlights why it is important to value democracy, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov was quoted as saying by the Council of Ministers' official Facebook account on Friday. Earlier in the day, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service announced Navalny died in prison in the Arctic.
"For years Navalny has been a symbol of the struggle against dictatorship in Russia, of the fight for free speech, of the fact that a person cannot be imprisoned over a different opinion. Step by step, the noose has been tightening around Navalny," Denkov stated.
"We have to imagine that another world exists, and in this world, where no one can freely say what they think except the one who is on top, they can send you to a penal colony. We must not forget this because it has also happened in our country," he stressed.
In an official statement, the Federal Penitentiary Service said that Navalny felt unwell after a walk on Friday and lost consciousness. Medical staff was called, but were unable to resuscitate him. For the time, Navalny's team has not confirmed the information about his death.
Navalny was serving a 19-year sentence for extremism. In December 2023, he was transferred to a maximum security penal colony north of the Polar Circle.
/RY/
