One day, two deaths

One day

My 16th February 2024 started out as a pretty standard Friday, doing my job as a doctor within the UK’s prison system. Sadly, it ended in sadness with the unexpected death of one of my detained patients. After leaving the prison late that evening, I sat in my car for a while, thinking and praying for my late patient’s family. And then as I drove out of the prison car park, I noticed two parked up police vehicles…

Investigation

Of course, the police were there because - whether expected or unexpected, self-inflicted, accidental or murderous - all UK deaths in custody are subject to extensive investigation by multiple agencies:-

Indeed, less than two years later, I have just recently given evidence to the coroner about this tragic death. And so these official processes have now concluded.

And in addition to all these national measures, the supra-national Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), which is responsible for monitoring member states’ compliance with Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, also takes a keen interest in deaths behind bars.

Two deaths

Still, in the busyness of managing the immediate aftermath of my own detained patient’s death, I had missed the breaking news about another custodial tragedy - that same day but thousands of miles away, in the frozen Artic Circle…

The world famous imprisoned lawyer Alexei Navalny, the fiercest and most enduring critic of President Putin, had also died in his Siberian prison.

Investigation?

Alexei at a court hearing the day before he died

  • He died just one day after being well enough to laugh and joke with his judge.

  • There was a period of ‘confusion’ about the location of his body and the cause of his death.

  • The United Nations indulged in wishful thinking, by calling for his death to be rigorously investigated by the relevant authorities.

  • Yet has this happened?

UK detainees are relatively blessed compared with those held in many other parts of the world. UK conditions of detention are regulated, monitored and - when found to fall short - investigated. Yes, I know full well that there are many problems behind my nation’s bars - and the CPT highlights these failings on a frequent basis. But compared with many places in the world, UK places of detention sit within a veritable Garden of Eden where the Rule of Law presides.

Final judgment

Putting aside European human rights legislation though, what about another set of laws that Alexei believed in? Yes that’s correct: during the latter years of his life, he turned from atheism to Christianity. Like us here at Integritas, he believed in the higher power of God’s eternal justice system. He referenced this faith during his 2021 trial that ultimately led to his death. And he was fond of quoting from Jesus’ great treatise on social justice, better known as The Sermon on the Mount:-

“I’ve always thought that this particular commandment [“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”] is more or less an instruction to [political] activity.”
(Alexei Navalny, quoting Matthew 5:6)

And according to the Christian faith, one day every one of us - including presidents - will die and face judgement by the same Judge. And this particular Judge has notable concern for detainees:-

The Lord looked down from His sanctuary on high, from heaven He viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.
(Psalm 102:19-20)

And to those who ignore the visible suffering of others, yet alone those who cause it, He will declare…

Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire… For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat… I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me… Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.
(Matthew 25:41-45)

So no, not even a presidential oppressor can evade eternal justice.


The author is one of our spokespeople; their views do not necessarily represent those of Integritas Healthcare.
This article was originally published one day after the deaths, on 17th February 2024; it underwent a light edit on 21st December 2025.

The Lord looked down… from heaven He viewed the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners…
Psalm 102:18-20