European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that she is “deeply disturbed and saddened by the news of the death of Alexei Navalny.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the head of the EU executive wrote, “Putin fears nothing more than dissent from his own people.”

Von der Leyen said the Russian opposition activist’s death is “a grim reminder of what Putin and his regime are all about.”

“Let’s unite in our fight to safeguard the freedom and safety of those who dare to stand up against autocracy,” she wrote.