Alexey Navalny is Dead

This is big, though not a black swan event. Alexey Navalny is dead, apparently killed in prison. This has important implications for Russians because it’s yet another test. And I suspect the Systema will not allow significant protests.

So first, with the announcement, I am sure you will see the video in major news media. It was his now widow who broke the news in Munich. The screencap is from the video:

Alexei Navalny’s father confirmed his death
Yulia Navalnaya first commented on the news of her husband’s death during a speech at the Munich Security Conference.

“They always lie. But if this is true, I want Putin and everyone around him to know that they will be held accountable for everything they did to our country, to my family. And this day will happen very soon. I want to call on the international community and all people to unite and defeat this evil,” she said.

The reaction from the West, including President Joe Biden, was to condemn this and blame Vladimir Putin almost immediately. Via MO, here are some of these condemnations:

“Navalny was just brutally murdered by the Kremlin.” Western politicians talk about the death of the most famous Russian opposition leader.

Messages about the death of Alexei Navalny are on the covers and main pages of the websites of all the…