Missing for weeks - Kremlin critic Navalny transferred to penal colony in polar region
The Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, who has been wanted for more than two weeks, has reappeared. He had been transferred to the IK-3 penal camp in Kharp in the north of Russia in the Yamal-Nenets district, Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh announced on the X news service (formerly Twitter) on Monday. "He's all right," Yarmysh said. There had been no trace of Navalny for 20 days. His team and lawyers had launched a search operation. The new prison camp is more than 2000 kilometers away from Moscow.
"We have found Alexei!" announced his colleague Ivan Zhdanov. He is in the "Polar Wolf" penal 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; 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.
Alexei Navalny had been missing since the beginning of December
Navalny, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison for alleged extremism, among other things, has repeatedly filed lawsuits against the prison system for violating his rights. He uses court appearances to criticize Putin's authoritarian system. Most recently, he was no longer connected to the hearings.
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 in court proceedings that Navalny was no longer in the IK-6 prison camp around 260 kilometers east of Moscow in the Vladimir region.
The Kremlin opponents around Navalny also launched the "Russia without Putin" campaign at the beginning of December, calling on voters to express their protest by voting for other candidates ahead of the presidential election. Putin is running in the vote for the fifth time, and potential 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 internationally recognized as a political prisoner.
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- Despite being internationally recognized as a political prisoner, Alexei Navalny's whereabouts remained secret for over two weeks, with no news until his transfer to the harsh conditions of the IK-3 penal colony in the polar region of Russia, far from any communication or support.
- Russian authorities followed through on their plan to isolate Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny ahead of the presidential election, as he was moved to a penal colony in the Yamal-Nenets district, known for its polar region climate and extreme isolation, which is inaccessible via direct mail and Twitter updates.
- Despite being in detention at a penal colony in the polar region, Alexei Navalny's team and supporters continue their fight, leveraging platforms like Twitter to amplify their message, demanding an end to his unjust imprisonment and advocating for "Russia without Putin" in the upcoming presidential election.
Source: www.stern.de
