Source By CNN |
Renowned Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, a vocal opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime, has been located at a distant penal colony in Siberia, according to an announcement from his team on Monday. This revelation follows a two-week period during which all communication with Navalny was lost.
As conveyed by Navalny's spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, through a statement on the platform X (formerly Twitter), the opposition leader is presently situated in IK-3 in the settlement of Kharp within the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. Yarmysh reassured the public that Navalny's lawyer had visited him earlier on the same day and reported that the activist is "in good condition."
The legal team first lost contact with Navalny on December 11 when he was held in a penal colony about 150 miles east of Moscow. Expressing concern over his prolonged absence, his team highlighted that Navalny had never been out of reach for such an extended period. They disclosed details of his declining health before the disappearance, citing instances of being "deprived of sustenance" and "confined in a punitive cell without proper ventilation."
The IK-3 penal colony, referred to as "Polar Wolf," where Navalny is currently held, is situated in Kharp—one of the northernmost and most isolated colonies. Ivan Zhdanov, director of Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation, depicted the harsh conditions, including a special regime in the permafrost zone, making it challenging to access, with no established letter delivery systems.
Zhdanov raised suspicions that the colony was prepared for Navalny's arrival in advance, pointing to the presence of Arkady Gostev, head of the Federal Penitentiary Service, in April. This suggests a strategic decision to transfer Navalny to this remote location.
Kharp, nearly 2,000 miles from Moscow, signifies a significant relocation for Navalny, who had previously been held in the capital. In August, he received a 19-year prison sentence for charges, including the creation of an extremist community and financing extremist activities. Supporters argue that Navalny's arrest is politically motivated, intended to suppress his critiques of Putin.
Navalny, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, has posed a substantial threat to Putin's regime. His blog and social media platforms have played a pivotal role in exposing corruption within the Kremlin and Russian business. The 2020 poisoning incident involving Novichok, a nerve agent, heightened tensions. A joint investigation by CNN and Bellingcat implicated the Russian Security Service (FSB), an allegation consistently denied by Russia.
Upon returning to Russia in January 2021, Navalny faced immediate incarceration on charges related to a 2013 fraud case, which he dismissed as politically motivated. The ongoing challenges posed by this opposition figure underscore the persistent tension between the Kremlin and its critics.
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