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The death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has sparked a series of questions and accusations, including over how he died and, crucially, who, if anyone, is responsible.
Several Western leaders, as well as Mr Navalny’s wife, have pointed the finger of blame firmly in the direction of the Kremlin, with US president Joe Biden saying it is likely a consequence of something “[Vladimir] Putin and his thugs did”.
However, prison authorities in Russia, who were responsible for the jailed dissident at the time of his death, have attempted to put forward another story.
Their suggestion has been the rare “sudden death syndrome” as a possible cause of death for the 47-year-old – a vocal critic of Mr Putin.
Meanwhile, Mr Navalny’s mother, who on Saturday attended the Siberian prison in which her son died, has accused authorities of failing to release his body, raising further questions.
Here’s what we know so far:
Announcement of Navalny’s death
At 11.20am UK time on Friday, the Russian news agency Interfax, citing Russia’s Office of the Federal Penitentiary Service, reported that Mr Navalny had died while in prison.
Mr Navalny, who campaigned against official corruption and led major anti-Kremlin protests, was serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism.
He was serving his sentence at the “Polar Wolf” penal colony about 1,200 miles (1,900 km) northeast of Moscow, and within the Arctic Circle, at the time of his death.
Russia’s prison service said in a statement that Mr Navalny “felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness”.
“All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, but they did not yield positive results,” the statement added.
“Emergency medical doctors confirmed the death of the convict.”
‘Sudden death syndrome’
On Saturday, Mr Navalny’s spokesperson confirmed that the Kremlin…
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