Kremlin critic Navalny found in Arctic prison, weeks after contact lost

Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, has been located in a prison north of the Arctic Circle, after supporters lost touch with him for more than two weeks, Al Jazeera reported.Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, disclosed on Monday that he is currently held in the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp, situated in the remote Yamal-Nenets region, approximately 1,900 kilometres northeast of Moscow.

Navalny’s lawyer managed to see him on Monday, Yarmysh said, adding: “Alexey is alright.”
According to Al Jazeera, the Kremlin critic’s whereabouts had not been known since December 6, triggering concern from his allies, rights groups and Western governments. There was speculation that he was undergoing a prison transfer, which can take weeks in Russia because prisoners are slowly moved by rail between far-flung facilities.

Preparations were underway for Navalny’s anticipated transfer to a “special regime” colony, the severe grade in Russia’s prison system. The chosen location, Kharp, is home to around 5,000 people and is situated approximately 60 kilometres above the Arctic Circle.Navalny’s new home, known as the “Polar Wolf” colony, is considered one of the toughest prisons in Russia. Its inmates are convicted of grave crimes. Winters are harsh there with temperatures dropping to about minus 28 degrees Celsius, Al Jazeera reported.

“It is almost impossible to get to this colony. It is almost impossible to even send letters there. This is the highest possible level of isolation from the world,” Navalny’s chief strategist, Leonid Volkov, said on X, formerly Twitter.According to Al Jazeera, Navalny has been behind bars since January 2021 when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.

Before his arrest, he campaigned against corruption and organised major anti-Kremlin protests. He has since received three prison terms and spent months in isolation in Penal Colony Number 6 for alleged minor infractions.

Russian authorities view Navalny and his supporters as “extremists” with alleged links to the CIA, the United States intelligence agency, and say they are seeking to “destabilise” Russia.
A court recently extended Navalny’s sentence to 19 years on extremism charges and mandated his relocation to a more secure and harsher prison. Navalny has vehemently rejected all charges against him as politically motivated.

Navalny’s supporters alleged that his deliberate concealment aligns with President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of seeking re-election in March, a vote in which his victory for a fifth term is anticipated, Al Jazeera reported.