War critic Gorinov disappears from penal colony
Where is Alexei Gorinov? This question is on the minds of the lawyers and a support group of the former local politician from Moscow. The 62-year-old is apparently no longer in the penal colony to which he was sent for spreading "false information".
A former Moscow local politician, who was sentenced to seven years in prison last year for criticizing the Russian offensive in Ukraine, has been missing by his supporters for days. Alexei Gorinov is no longer in the penal colony in Pokrov, around 200 kilometers east of Moscow, where he was previously imprisoned, his support group announced on the online service Telegram on Friday.
Gorinov's lawyers had been trying in vain all week to obtain information about his whereabouts and state of health, the group explained. They expressed concern about the 62-year-old's state of health. "We assume and hope that Alexei Gorinov has been transferred to a hospital," the statement said.
In "very poor health"
According to the supporters, during a visit to Gorinov on 8 December, one of the lawyers discovered that he was in "very poor health" and did not have the strength to sit in a chair and speak. Gorinov was suffering from bronchitis and had breathing problems. Necessary medication had been withheld from him. The former local politician has suffered from chronic lung problems since having a lung removed in 2016.
Gorinov was sentenced to seven years in prison in July 2022 after publicly criticizing the Russian offensive in Ukraine. A court in Moscow found him guilty of "knowingly spreading false information" about the Russian army. The current uncertainty surrounding Gorinov's whereabouts is similar to the case of prominent opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Navalny's lawyers and supporters have also been out of contact with him for days. Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmish, who lives in exile, announced on Friday on the online service X (formerly Twitter) that a court had informed Navalny's lawyer that he had left his penal colony east of Moscow. "It's not clear where exactly," Yarmish explained.
The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that, according to a court statement, Navalny had left his penal colony in accordance with a ruling that came into force in the summer. Navalny's arrival in his new penal colony will be announced in accordance with the applicable laws. The Kremlin critic was convicted of "extremism" in the summer and his prison sentence was increased to 19 years. He was also ordered to be transferred to a prison with stricter prison conditions. Transfers from one prison to another often take several weeks in Russia.
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The disappearance of Alexei Gorinov from his penal colony has sparked concerns among his lawyers and supporters. His controversial absence follows a similar situation faced by Alexei Navalny, another prominent critic of the Russian regime.
Navalny, a renowned opposition politician, has also been out of contact with his lawyers for several days, raising similar questions about his whereabouts. His lawyers were informed by the court that he had left his penal colony east of Moscow, but the exact location remains unknown.
Source: www.ntv.de
