Trudeau, Canadian lawmakers denounce Putin after Navalny's death

Canadian lawmakers are denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government following news that prominent opposition figure Alexei Navalny died while serving his sentence in a prison in the Arctic Circle.

"The death of Alexei Navalny has us all reeling," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an interview Friday with CBC News in Winnipeg. "It's something that has the entire world being reminded of exactly what a monster Putin is.

"There is no question that Alexei Navalny is dead because he stood up to Putin, he stood up to the Kremlin. He stood for freedom and democracy and the right of the Russian people to choose their future, and that was something that Putin was deeply afraid of, as he should be."

The prime minister added that Navalny's death redoubles the resolve of Canada and other Western nations to stand up to Putin's abuses of human rights and international law.

In a social media post, Trudeau said Navalny's courage was unparalleled and sent his condolences to Navalny's family and supporters.

"To be clear: He should never have been imprisoned to begin with. Let this be an important reminder that we must continue to promote, protect and defend democracy everywhere. The consequences of not doing so are stark," Trudeau wrote on X.

Navalny, 47, was arrested by Russian authorities in 2021 upon his return to the country after spending five months in Germany recovering from poisoning by a nerve agent. He was accused and convicted in a series of cases involving charges of embezzlement, fraud and extremism.

The opposition figure's death was announced on Friday by the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets region, where Navalny had been serving his sentences.

Prison authorities said Navalny "felt unwell" after a walk on Friday and "almost immediately lost consciousness."

The statement said medical staff were called but were unable to resuscitate him. The authorities said the cause of death was being established.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly echoed the prime minister's comments.

"Alexei Navalny gave his freedom in the hopes of a better, more democratic future for the Russian people. Reports of his death are a painful reminder of Putin's continued oppressive regime," Joly wrote on social media. "My thoughts are with his wife, Yulia, his family, and his loved ones."

Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae placed the blame for Navalny's death on the Russian president.

"Putin murdered Navalny just as surely as if he'd strangled him with his bare hands," Rae wrote on X.