December 26th 2023.
Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, has been found after going missing nearly three weeks ago. His confirmation of his arrival at a brutal prison on the Arctic Circle has been met with alarm from his supporters.
The Polar Wolf colony, located over 1,000 miles northeast of Moscow, is considered to be one of the toughest prisons in Russia, notorious for its long and severe winters. It houses some of the country's most dangerous inmates. In a statement, Navalny expressed surprise at having been found, saying he expected to be missing until mid-January. He described himself as a "new Santa Claus" and expressed his gratitude for the support he has received.
The transfer within Russia's prison system is shrouded in secrecy, and inmates can disappear from contact for several weeks. This is what happened to Navalny, who had been imprisoned in the Vladimir region of central Russia. His lawyers had not been able to reach him since December 6, shortly after President Vladimir Putin announced his intention to run for a fifth presidential term.
Supporters have been particularly worried about Navalny, who had been ill and reportedly was being denied food and kept in an unventilated cell. His team was alarmed when his disappearance became apparent, and they believed he was deliberately being hidden.
Navalny has been in prison since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning. He has campaigned against official corruption and organised major anti-Kremlin protests, for which he has received three prison terms and spent months in isolation in Penal Colony No. 6. Despite the difficult conditions, he has maintained his good spirits and rejected all charges against him as politically motivated.
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