Death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny confirmed by his representatives

Alexei Navalny’s supporters have challenged the official explanation that he died after a fall. Photograph: Dawid Żuchowicz/Agencja Wyborcza.pl/Reuters

The death of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, has been confirmed by his representatives as international leaders condemn Vladimir Putin for the demise of his once most significant political challenger.

Navalny, 47, died while being held in jail on 16 February at 2.17pm, said his official spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, citing a message from Navalny’s mother and challenging Russia’s official explanation that Navalny died after a fall at the Arctic penal colony where he was being held.

“Alexei Navalny was murdered,” Yarmysh wrote on X. “An employee of the colony said that the body of Navalny is now in Salekhard. It was picked up by investigators from the IC. Now they are conducting ‘investigations’ with him.

“We demand that Alexei Navalny’s body be handed over to his family immediately.”

The death of the jailed Kremlin critic drew swift condemnation from international leaders, senior western officials and Russian opposition figures on Friday, who placed blame firmly on Russia and called the death a “further sign of Putin’s brutality”.

Navalny was serving a 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges in a remote penal colony within the Arctic Circle. He had been behind bars since returning from Germany in January 2021 on various charges that he rejected as politically motivated.

More details to follow