Alexei Navalny seen grinning, laughing in courtroom video a day before his death

By UNN News

Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, made a court appearance just a day before his death

The 47-year-old laughing and appearing in good spirits while behind bars at the IK-3 penal colony, in Kharp in northern Russia

Russia’s prison agency announced that Navalny felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness and died at a penal colony in Siberia

Vice President Kamala Harris has condemned and said "Whatever story they tell, let us be clear: Russia is responsible."

"Alexei's lawyer is currently on his way to Kharp. As soon as we have some information, we will report on it," said spokesperson Kira Yarmysh

Navalny had previously organized anti-government demonstrations and had run for office to advocate for reforms against what he claimed was corruption in Russia.

"Russia is responsible for this," Blinken said. "We'll be talking to many other countries concerned about Alexei Navalny, especially if these reports bear out to be true."

Police initially allowed people to lay flowers at monuments to victims of Soviet-era repressions in several Russian cities.

Later police sealed off some of the areas and started making arrests.

More than 100 people were detained in eight cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk in the Arctic Circle, Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don in the south of Russia