Navalny taken from prison to unknown place

Published December 16, 2023
Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny attends a court hearing in Moscow, Russia in this file photo. — Reuters
Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny attends a court hearing in Moscow, Russia in this file photo. — Reuters

MOSCOW: Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been removed from a prison near Moscow and taken to an undisclosed location, his spokeswoman said on Friday, citing a court representative.

Supporters of Navalny, who was jailed in 2021 after surviving a poisoning assassination attempt, have sounded the alarm since early this month, when the Kremlin critic was last seen.

Kira Yarmysh said she was told that Navalny, serving a 19-year sentence, was removed from the Vladimir region near Moscow on Dec 11, signalling a potential prison transfer.

“It is not known where exactly” he was taken, Yarmysh added.

“I want to remind you that lawyers have not seen Alexei since Dec 6. Why they were not allowed to meet him, if Alexei was still in IK-6, we do not know,” she said, referring to the penal colony where he was last seen.

The Kremlin this week criticised “interference” by the United States in the case after Washington said it was “deeply concerned” by Navalny’s team saying they have had no access to him for almost a week.

France added its voice to the growing chorus of international concern over the lack of news about Navalny.

“France considers Russia responsible for the health of its detainees, in particular political prisoners,” said French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine.

“The lack of news for the past several days is very worrying,” he added.

Navalny is serving the long jail term on extremism charges, and a court this summer ruled that he be moved to a more secure, harsh prison.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

China security ties
Updated 14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

If China's security concerns aren't addressed satisfactorily, it may affect bilateral ties. CT cooperation should be pursued instead of having foreign forces here.
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...
United stance
Updated 13 Nov, 2024

United stance

It would've been better if the OIC-Arab League summit had announced practical measures to punish Israel.
Unscheduled visit
13 Nov, 2024

Unscheduled visit

Unusual IMF visit shows the lender will closely watch implementation of programme goals to prevent it from derailing.
Bara’s businesswomen
13 Nov, 2024

Bara’s businesswomen

Bara’s brave women have proven that with the right support, societal barriers can be overcome.