‘Missing’ Navalny located in harsh Arctic Circle penal colony
ALEXEI NAVALNY, the jailed Russian opposition leader whose whereabouts were unknown for more than two weeks, has been moved to a penal colony in the Arctic.
The disappearance of Russia’s most prominent opposition figure, who mobilised huge protests against Vladimir Putin before being jailed in 2021, had prompted concerns from rights groups and Western governments.
It signalled a likely prison transfer, which can take weeks in Russia as prisoners are slowly moved by rail between far-flung facilities.
“We have found Alexei Navalny. He is now in IK-3 in the settlement of Kharp in the Yamalo-nenets Autonomous
District,” his ally, Kira Yarmysh, said on social media. “His lawyer visited him today. Alexei is doing well.”
The district of Kharp, home to about 5,000 people, is located above the Arctic Circle. It is “one of the most northern and remote colonies”, said Ivan Zhdanov, who manages Navalny’s Anti-corruption Foundation.
Conditions there are harsh, with a special regime in the permafrost zone and very little contact with the outside world, Mr Zhdanov added.
The US State Department welcomed reports Mr Nalvalny had been located but said it was “deeply concerned” about his wellbeing and called for his immediate release. “We have conveyed to the Russian government that they are responsible for what happens to Mr Navalny in their custody”, a spokesman said.
Mr Navalny was first jailed after surviving an attempt to assassinate him by poisoning. A court extended his sentence to 19 years on extremism charges, and ruled that he be moved to a more secure, harsher prison.
Mr Zhdanov said: “From the very beginning, it was clear that authorities wanted to isolate Alexei, especially before the elections.”