Putin opponent Navalny turns up in Arctic prison after going missing

Russian activist Alexei Navalny has been moved to an Arctic prison, his spokesperson said, weeks after his family and lawyers lost contact with the imprisoned opposition leader.

Concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken domestic rival had escalated since Dec. 6 when he was last heard from by his lawyers.

“He is now in IK-3 in the settlement of Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District,” spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh posted Monday. “His lawyer visited him today. Alexei is doing well.”

According to Reuters, Navalny (photo) is now housed 1,200 miles northeast of

Moscow. He was previously imprisoned 145 miles east of Russia’s capital.

Navalny’s representative accused Russian officials of relocating the 47-year-old dissident a couple weeks ago and refusing to say where he’d been transferred.

Russian prison transfers often take a long time and lack transparency, according to The Associated Press.

Navalny wasn’t present for a Dec. 11 court appearance where he was expected to appear via video.

He’s been incarcerated since January 2021 after being accused of fraud, which his lawyers claim is a false and politically motivated charge. An additional 19 years were added to Navalny’s sentence in August when a court found him guilty of extremism.

Russia’s efforts to silence him are believed to have included an attempted 2020 poisoning that left the anti-corruption attorney in grave condition. Putin denied involvement in the attempted murder of his biggest national critic, though a recorded call between Navalny and an unsuspecting Russian operative appears to indicate otherwise. Numerous studies found Navalny had been exposed to the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichoc.

Putin spent 16 years as a KGB agent for the former Soviet Union.

Russia will hold a presidential election in March. Putin, who has been in power as either president or prime minister of Russia since 1999, is expected to remain in office.

Former President Donald Trump received heavy criticism after calling to congratulate Putin on his 2018 electoral win. The integrity of Russian elections is frequently questioned.