Inmates in 'Polar Wolf' prison reveal what REALLY happened the night Alexei Navalny was killed with 'mysterious commotion'
PRISONERS in the hellish 'Polar Wolf' prison have spoken of a 'mysterious commotion' the night before Alexei Navalny died.
Prisoners in the brutal Siberian prison spoke of an “out of the blue” search of the cells, a strict lockdown and the noise of cars the night before the death of the Russian opposition leader was reported.
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The outspoken Putin critic, 47, collapsed and died in prison Friday with Russian authorities later stating that his death was caused by “sudden death syndrome” amid widespread claims that he was “assassinated” by the Russian despot.
It was later claimed that his body had been found under the bruiseswhich fuels the theory that killed him a “hallmark of the KGB” method – one punch in the heart after spending hours in freezing temperatures.
An inmate at the brutal prison described the unusual circumstances of the night before Navalny's death and explained why he is confident Putin's enemy had died much earlier than reported by Russia.
He told Novaya Europe: “It all started when they really accelerated our evening search. This usually happens on holidays when the guards are in a hurry to go celebrate, but yesterday was not a holiday.
'Then they locked us up, banned any movement between the barracks and tightened security.
“We heard cars driving into the prison grounds late at night, but couldn't see what they were through our cell windows.”
He said guards then conducted an extensive search of the prisoners' cells next one confiscating items in the morning that they previously turned a blind eye to – like phones, playing cards and even coil heaters.
There was no ambulance in the colony that morning; this only appeared after news of Navalny's death broke
It was made clear to prisoners that an outside inspection was imminent, but he notes that both guards and prisoners would normally be informed of such an inspection a month in advance.
The next morning at 10am the news about Navalny's death began to spread throughout the prison.
Navalny's time of death was reported at 2:17 pm local time on Friday, but the source's evidence suggests it happened the night before.
The prisoner continued, “The punishment cell area is that [Navalny] had been placed in something at the side of the barracks, but we had seen an ambulance driving towards it.
'But there was no ambulance in the colony that morning – it didn't show up until after news of Navalny's death became known.
'So I think he died much earlier than was officially declared – probably the night before. Why else would they lock us up completely and search us so thoroughly?'
The source explains that both the prison's warden and chief of operations appeared distraught in the aftermath of the event news is announced.
He said: “In the afternoon several cars drove to the administration unit. One was apparently from the IK-18 prison, one from Salekhard and a few others from Labytnangi.
“I think they wanted to fine-tune their stories before the inspectors arrived.”
The prisoner's testimony comes after footage was shown Navalny's body is smuggled out of prison 'at night.
His grieving family have still not been allowed to see his body and no official autopsy has been performed.
A paramedic who saw the body said it was covered in bruises and had consistent marks that could indicate he had been “murdered” after it was suggested he had suffered a seizure in prison.
“The person is convulsing, they try to restrain him, but the convulsions can be very severe and that's why bruises appear.”
There were also signs that prison medics had tried to resuscitate Navalny, as there were signs of “chest compressions”.
Navalny, Putin's top critic in Russia, served a 19-year prison sentence the IK-3 Arctic jail colony after a mock trial.
The activist was first picked up by Vlad's brutal Police in 2021 after returning to Russia after an assassination attempt.
Navalny also went missing from a hellish Russian prison last year – and his supporters warned at the time he could be executed.
He was later found in one of the country's toughest prisons in Siberia, known as the “Polar Wolf” colony.
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The life of Alexei Navalny
Putin's best-known opponent Alexei Navalny, 47, has died in prison.
Here's a timeline that took the leader of the opposition from being the face of freedom in Russia and the Kremlin's greatest enemy to a hellish Siberian prison and to an early grave.
June 4, 1976 — Navalny was born in a western part of the Moscow region
1997 — Graduated from Russia's RUDN University, where he studied law
2004 – Forms a movement against rampant overdevelopment in Moscow
2008 — Gains fame for exposing corruption in state-owned enterprises
December 2011 – Participates in mass protests sparked by reports of widespread manipulation of Russia's elections, and is arrested and jailed for 15 days for “defying a government official”
March 2012 – More mass protests break out and Navalny accuses key Kremlin henchmen of corruption
July 2012 — Russia's Investigative Committee accuses Navalny of embezzlement. He rejects the claims, saying they are politically motivated
2013 — Navalny wants to become mayor of Moscow
July 2013 – A court in Kirov convicts Navalny of embezzlement in the Kirovles case and sentences him to five years in prison. He appeals and is allowed to continue his campaign
September 2013 — Official results show Navalny finishing second in the mayoral race
February 2014 — Navalny is placed under house arrest
December 2014 — Navalny and his brother Oleg are found guilty of fraud
February 2016 — The European Court of Human Rights rules that Russia violated Navalny's right to a fair trial
November 2016 — Russia's Supreme Court overturned Navalny's sentence
December 2016 — Navalny announces he will participate in the 2018 Russian presidential elections
February 2017 — The Kirov court retrials Navalny and upholds his five-year suspended sentence from 2013
April 2017 – Survives an assassination attempt that he blames on the Kremlin
December 2017 — Russia's Central Electoral Commission prevents him from running for president
August 2020 – Navalny falls into a coma during a flight and his team suspects he has been poisoned. German authorities confirm he was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent.
January 2021 — After five months in Germany, Navalny is arrested upon his return to Russia
February 2021 — A Moscow court orders Navalny to serve a 2.5-year prison sentence
June 2021 — A Moscow court shuts down Navalny's Foundation for the Fight against Corruption and his extensive political network
February 2022 – Russia invades Ukraine
March 2022 — Navalny is sentenced to an additional nine years in prison for embezzlement and contempt of court
2023 – More than 400 Russian doctors sign an open letter to Putin urging an end to what she calls abuse of Navalny, after reports that he was denied basic medication and suffered slow poisoning
April 2023 – Navalny says from prison he was facing new extremism and terrorism charges that could keep him behind bars for the rest of his life
August 2023 – A court in Russia extends Navalny's prison sentence by 19 years
December 2023 – He disappears from his prison because his team is afraid he will be killed. He reappears weeks later in one of Siberia's toughest prisons: the 'The Arctic wolf colony