The whereabouts of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny have been confirmed, with his team stating that he has been located in a penal colony in Russia’s far north. For nearly three weeks, there was uncertainty surrounding the imprisoned dissident politician’s location, causing concern among his aides, lawyers, and family. Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, announced his well-being after a visit from his lawyer in a Twitter post.
According to Yarmysh, Navalny is being held in a prison in the town of Kharp, located over a thousand miles northeast of Moscow in the Yamalo-Nenetsk region. This region is known for its severe winters and was previously the site of some of the harshest camps in the Soviet gulag system.
The level of isolation in the colony has raised concerns, with Navalny’s ally, Leonid Volkov, stating that it is almost impossible to reach the facility or send letters there. Navalny’s team had no contact with him since early December, and it was only recently revealed that he had been transferred from a colony in the Vladimir region to the prison in Kharp.
Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was arrested upon his return to Russia from Germany in early 2021, where he was being treated following a nerve agent poisoning. Since then, he has been held behind bars, facing multiple criminal cases that he has rejected as politically motivated. His lawyer stated that Navalny is a defendant in 14 criminal cases and could potentially face up to 35 years in prison in total.
The secretive nature of transfers within Russia’s penal system has been a source of concern, with inmates disappearing for weeks without oversight. Navalny’s transfer and subsequent disappearance have raised questions, as Putin is launching his campaign for a fifth presidential term with elections just four months away.
Navalny’s team claims that the secrecy surrounding his location and the ban on releasing any information was a deliberate attempt to isolate and suppress him, particularly ahead of the upcoming elections. In response, the opposition politician’s team has launched a campaign encouraging Russians to vote for anyone but Putin as a form of resistance against his rule and the ongoing war in Ukraine.