Navalny's whereabouts up in the air
It's anyone's guess where Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is currently residing, his supporters claim. Navalny failed to appear at a court hearing via video link, Kira Yarmysh, his spokesperson, declared. Reportedly, Navalny would be transferred from the IK-6 prison camp in Melekhovo, situated 240 kilometers east of Moscow, according to Yarmysh.
However, Russian authorities have shied away from addressing this matter. Dmitry Peskov, the presidential spokesman, insists Navalny is a convicted criminal serving his sentence, and any intervention in his case is unacceptable. The U.S. government previously raised concerns about Navalny's welfare and emphasized that the Russian authorities were accountable for his situation.
Navalny's camp was prepared for his transfer to a harsher prison camp. In August, Navalny was slapped with an additional 19 years behind bars, making his current sentence 30.5 years long. His legal team has not had contact with him since last Tuesday.
Navalny's colleague Lyubov Sobol suspects the transfer has something to do with Putin's plan to run for president once more, in the March 2024 elections. "They're so terrified of Navalny that they've decided to isolate him as much as possible from the outside world," Sobol elaborated.
Navalny has been charged with extremism, and his political organization was banned. Close associates of his have been imprisoned or have sought refuge abroad. Navalny denies all allegations, claiming they are politically motivated and aim to suppress his criticisms of Putin.
Interestingly, Navalny is rumored to be in a correctional colony in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district, in the Arctic region of Russia, in a settlement named Kharp. The exact details have not been confirmed by the Russian authorities[1].[4]
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Despite repeated requests, the Russian authorities have not disclosed Navalny's current location within the prison system. Consequently, Navalny's legal team has petitioned the Russian government to clarify his location and ensure his rights as a prisoner are being upheld.
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[1]: Source here [4]: Source here
