Navalny to Prigozhin: Putin critics who've met unceremonious deaths
Alexei Navalny, a prominent figure known for being the harshest critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died mysteriously at an Arctic Circle jail recently. His demise adds to the list of Kremlin critics who have passed away mysteriously. From suspected poisonings to mysterious plane crashes, here are some of Russia's most well-known critics who have allegedly died over the years under Putin's reign.
Death of Wagner chief in plane crash
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, died in a plane crash last year after leading an unsuccessful coup against the Russian president. After his failed mutiny, the mercenary leader's plane mysteriously fell out of the sky in August 2023. Russian authorities later confirmed he died in the crash through genetic testing. While there is no concrete evidence that points to Kremlin involvement, the cause of the crash still officially remains unknown.
Former Russian deputy prime minister's death
In February 2015, vocal Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov was shot dead while walking with his girlfriend in central Moscow. Nemtsov, deputy prime minister under Russian President Boris Yeltsin in the late 1990s, died a couple of days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. While numerous Nemtsov supporters suspected Putin's administration of involvement, five Chechen men in 2017 were handed lengthy prison terms over his death.
Alleged poisoning of Russian whistle-blower in London
Alexander Perepilichnyy, a financier who provided proof of alleged fraud against Russian tax officials, died suddenly in 2012 while jogging back to his home in London's Surrey, United Kingdom (UK). While it initially appeared that Perepilichnyy had died of natural causes, plant toxicology experts from the Royal Botanic Gardens in 2015 told a court that traces of gelsemium—a rare plant poison—were found in the 44-year-old's stomach. However, the police later dismissed the poisoning claims.
Journalists and whistleblowers silenced
Adding to the list of untimely deaths is that of fearless journalist and critic of Russia's actions in Chechnya, Anna Politkovskaya. She was shot dead in 2006. Sergei Magnitsky, another whistleblower who exposed corruption within Putin's regime, died in prison under suspicious circumstances in 2009. In addition to these high-profile cases, several Russian businessmen have reportedly faced similar fates in the past year, with suicides and mysterious deaths casting a dark shadow over dissent in Russia.
