War critic Gorinov has been missing for days
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 missing politician Gorinov, who was criticizing Russia's actions in Ukraine, shares a similar predicament with opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as both have been out of touch with their supporters for days. Alexei Navalny, a well-known critic of the Russian government, was reportedly transferred from his penal colony, but the exact location remains unclear.
Source: www.ntv.de
