After weeks of uncertainty and no contact, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been located in a prison colony north of the Arctic Circle, according to his aides. Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is currently serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. However, his lawyers have been unable to reach him since December 6.
Initially imprisoned in Russia's Vladimir region, approximately 140 miles east of Moscow, Navalny's spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, confirmed on X that he has been transferred to a prison further north in the Yamalo-Nenetsky region. The location is described as extremely isolated, making it nearly impossible to reach or even send letters.
Navalny's chief strategist, Leonid Volkov, emphasized the high level of isolation from the world in this new prison. Concerns about Navalny's well-being had previously been raised, with reports suggesting he was being held in an unventilated cell and denied food.
Navalny gained international attention after being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in Tomsk, Siberia, in August 2020. Following treatment in Berlin, he returned to Moscow on January 17, 2021, only to be arrested for violating the terms of his parole at passport control. Navalny has consistently maintained that the charges against him are politically motivated, linked to his anti-Kremlin protests and campaigns against corruption in Russia.
(With Agency Inputs)
