Russia - Banished to the polar region: Kremlin opponent Navalny is back
The Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, who has been missing for more than two weeks, has reappeared. He has been transferred to the IK-3 penal camp in Kharp in the north of Russia in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh announced on the X news service (formerly Twitter). A lawyer had seen him.
"He is doing well," said Yarmysh, according to a statement published in English. There had been no trace of Navalny for 20 days. His team and lawyers had launched a search operation. The new prison camp is located more than 2,000 kilometers from Moscow.
"We have found Alexei!" his colleague Ivan Zhdanov also announced. He is in the "Polar Wolf" prison camp, in one of the northernmost and most remote colonies of all. "The conditions there are brutal," said Zhdanov. There is also permafrost there. It is very difficult to get there; moreover, no letters are delivered to the camp. It had been clear from the outset that Moscow's power apparatus wanted to isolate the opponent of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin ahead of the presidential election on 17 March. "His whereabouts were kept secret," criticized Zhdanov.
There was no further comment from the prison system or other Russian authorities on the reports about the detainee's whereabouts. Navalny, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison for alleged extremism, among other things, has repeatedly filed complaints against the prison system for violating his rights. He uses his court appearances not least to criticize Putin' s authoritarian system. Most recently, Navalny was no longer connected to the hearings when the election campaign began.
Whereabouts unknown since the beginning of December
The whereabouts of the Russian president's fiercest opponent had been unknown since the beginning of December. There was also great concern for the 47-year-old because he is in poor health. Prison staff had only stated at court hearings that Navalny was no longer in the IK-6 prison camp around 260 kilometers east of Moscow in the Vladimir region.
"Although today is also Christmas, the fact that we found Alexei on this day is not a Christmas miracle, but the tremendous and meticulous work of the lawyers of the Anti-Corruption Fund," said Yulia Navalnaya, the opposition figure's wife, on Instagram. She also posted an older selfie of herself with her husband from happier days.
Today, Russia's highest court claimed that Navalny's whereabouts were unknown, said Zhdanov, who heads the Anti-Corruption Fund in exile. There had been a complete blockade of information. Navalny's lawyers had sent out more than 600 requests and "searched" all remand prisons to find him. "The lawyer was with him today. He has seen Alexei. But they didn't let the lawyer see him straight away either," said Zhdanov. The head of the Russian prison system, Arkady Gostev, had already been there in April, probably to prepare the camp for Navalny's arrival, he added.
"Russia without Putin" campaign
At the beginning of December, the Kremlin opponents around Navalny also launched the "Russia without Putin" campaign, with which they are calling on voters to express their protest by voting for other candidates ahead of the presidential election. Putin is contesting the vote for the fifth time and his competitors are considered to have no chance.
Navalny, who also survived an assassination attempt using the nerve agent Novichok in 2020, has been in prison for almost three years. He has been recognized internationally as a political prisoner. The USA, the EU and the German government have repeatedly expressed concern in recent weeks and called on the Russian leadership to provide information about Navalny's whereabouts. Russia had rejected this as interference in its internal affairs. The Kremlin also stated that it could not concern itself with the fate of prisoners in Russia.
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- Despite being banned to the IK-3 penal camp in Kharp, a remote area in the polar region of Russia, Alexei Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh announced that he is doing well.
- The penal camp in Kharp is located more than 2,000 kilometers from Moscow, ensuring a physical and informational isolation for opposition leader Navalny ahead of the presidential election.
- Ivan Zhdanov, a colleague of Navalny, expressed concern about the brutal conditions in the "Polar Wolf" prison camp, one of the most remote and harsh detention centers in Russia.
- Vladimir Putin's rival, Alexei Navalny, has been forcibly transferred to the northernmost region of the country in a clear attempt to silence him before the upcoming Presidential election on March 17.
- Moscow's power apparatus used the penal system to detain Navalny in a far-off location, preventing him from participating in the election campaign and communicating with his supporters via social media platforms like Twitter.
- Russian Presidential election candidate Navalny has been a thorn in the side of Vladimir Putin, addressing human rights violations as well as systemic corruption in the Kremlin, a topic he often tackles during court appearances.
- The head of the Russian prison system, Arkady Gostev, visited the "Polar Wolf" prison camp in preparation for Navalny's arrival, ensuring the penal facility is fully equipped to handle high-profile detainees like Alexei Navalny.
Source: www.stern.de
