Anti-Kremlin activist Bill Browder claims that Putin's death of Navalny was a pre-election gambit.

• Hermitage Capital Management CEO and co-founder Bill Browder, a friend of Navalny, claimed that Putin was responsible for his death.
• The cause of Navalny's death remains undetermined, according to the prison service.
• The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday stated that the West's response to Navalny's death was "self-exposing" because no forensic medical examination had been made available at the time.

Bill Browder, an opponent of the Kremlin, stated that he believes Navalny's death was a warning to Putin's political opponents before the upcoming elections.

A Russian opposition leader, Navalny, who died on Friday, was serving a 19-year prison sentence for extremism charges, which he vehemently denied.

Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized the West's reaction to Navalny's death, stating that it was "self-exposing" since no forensic medical examination had been conducted at the time. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden held Russia responsible for the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Hermitage Capital Management CEO and co-founder Browder, a friend of Navalny, accused Putin of being responsible for Navalny's death.

At the Munich Security Conference, Putin acknowledged that Russia does not hold legitimate elections, but he must create the illusion of legitimacy to maintain support. He is concerned that Navalny's comments from prison could undermine his efforts.

Putin is using the killing of his main opponent as a pre-election gambit to send a message to all opposition politicians: if you get involved in opposition politics, you will die.

The cause of Navalny's death is yet to be determined, and the Kremlin has vowed to investigate his demise.

Russia's foreign ministry did not respond to CNBC's request for comment from a spokesperson.

On Saturday, a spokesperson for Navalny confirmed his death, following reports from Russian media that he had passed away on Friday in the Yamalo-Nenets region prison where he was being held.

In August 2020, Putin's outspoken critic, Navalny, was poisoned but managed to recover. The Kremlin rejected any responsibility for the incident.