Spokeswoman: Kremlin critic Navalny transferred to penal colony in polar region
The remote village of Charp, with around 5,000 inhabitants, lies north of the Arctic Circle and is home to several penal colonies.
The anti-corruption activist Navalny is currently serving a 19-year prison sentence, having been convicted of "extremism" in the summer. Relatives and fellow activists had not heard from him since the beginning of December, and a transfer from his previous place of detention, around 250 kilometers from Moscow, had been considered likely.
According to the sentence handed down against him in the summer, Navalny must serve his sentence in a colony with stricter prison conditions. These are usually only intended for life prisoners and particularly dangerous prisoners.
There is one such colony in Kharp, number 18, which also bears the name "Polar Owl". However, according to his spokesperson, Navalny is in a different colony.
Transfers from one penal colony to another often take several weeks in Russia and involve train journeys that are interrupted by several stops. The prisoners' relatives are not given any information about their whereabouts during this time.
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Source: www.stern.de
