News that Russian government critic Alexei Navalny had died in prison "has us all reeling," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.
Navalny, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died Friday in the "Polar Wolf" Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year jail term on charges of extremism. Located north of the Arctic Circle, it is one of the harshest Russian prisons. Navalny was 47.
"Reports of Alexei Navalny death are tragic and horrifying," Trudeau said in a post on X. "An unwavering advocate for Russian democracy and freedom, his courage was unparalleled."
Trudeau went on to say Navalny's only crime was to criticize Putin.
"There is no question that Alexei Navalny is dead because he stood up to Putin, he stood up to the Kremlin," Trudeau told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. "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."
In the X post, Trudeau said Navalny should never have been jailed.
"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."
Navalny held protest rallies as he waged campaigns against corruption in the Putin government. He was first imprisoned in January 2021.
Trudeau called Putin a "monster."
Other Canadian lawmakers also condemned Putin.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said Navalny was imprisoned solely because he "opposed the regime".
New Democrat Party Leader Jagmeet Singh said, "Navalny's important work exposed corruption."
