Navaly's Whereabouts Remain Unknown After Prison Transfer
Alexei Navalny's lawyers haven't seen him since December 6th. Contrary to Russian newspaper "Kommersant" reports indicating Navalny's departure from his penal colony, his spokeswoman, Kira Jarmisch, confirmed on Friday that he was taken from a prison near Moscow to an unknown location.
Navalny's 19-year sentence for "extremism" was increased due to a court ruling in the summer. The Russian government ordered his transfer to a prison with stricter conditions. Transfers between Russian prisons typically take weeks.
The French government expressed concern on Friday about Navalny's whereabouts. The Paris Foreign Office spokesperson, Christophe Lemoine, stated that Russia bears responsibility for the health of its prisoners, including political ones.
U.S. officials had already expressed "deep concern" about Navalny and called for his immediate release in early December. The Kremlin retaliated by accusing Washington of interfering in the case.
Navalny is known as President Vladimir Putin's toughest domestic critic. Following a poison attack that he blamed on the Kremlin, Navalny traveled to Germany for treatment, then returned to Russia in January 2021 and was immediately arrested.
Additional Information:
- Navalny currently resides in Correctional Colony No. 3 in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district, a remote Arctic region with brutally harsh winters and isolated living conditions[1].
- The transfer process involves traveling in "vagonzaks" - trains designed for prisoners, with cage-like compartments, limited fresh air, no showers, and restricted access to food and bathrooms[1].
- Navalny's family and supporters voice concerns regarding his safety and detention conditions, with his daughter, Daria Navalnaya, describing the prison as a place of psychological torture due to extreme isolation[3].
- Navalny's death in this Arctic prison on February 16, 2024, remains a controversial issue, with his supporters accusing the Kremlin of murder[4][5].
[1] Source: OC Media [2] Source: BBC [3] Source: Al Jazeera [4] Source: CNN [5] Source: BBC
