It was recently announced that Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic Alexey Navalny has been transferred to a new high-security prison. His closest confidants and relatives have recently been worried about his whereabouts, as Der Spiegel reports.
Discover our latest podcast
Navalny's spokesperson fears for his life
Navalny had been in a penal camp a hundred kilometres east of Moscow since the beginning of 2021. But after court-confirmed charges in May, he was sentenced to nine years in prison for fraud.
On Tuesday, he was transferred to a new penal camp, but without official confirmation to his team. His spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh insisted that Navalny's 'life is in danger,' according to Der Spiegel.
Finally a sign of life
The new conviction made it legally binding that Navalny be sent to a maximum-security prison. The 46-year-old is now giving his first sign of life. He reported on Instagram that he is now in Penal Colony 6 in Melekhovo.
His lawyer has also finally been able to see him there. Navalny is currently in quarantine and contact with family and relatives even more difficult than before. In addition, he is hardly allowed out into fresh air.
He wrote, as reported by Sky News:
Hello to everyone from the strict regime zone.
Yesterday I was transferred to IK-6 'Melekhovo'. I'm in quarantine so I don't have much to say.
But the punishment might not be the last
It could easily be that this is not the last charge against Navalny. As the detainee informed in May, a new indictment from the Russian judiciary is already in place.
The charge is related to extremism—his anti-corruption foundation was classified as extremist by Russia. Another 15 years of imprisonment is the threat, according to Der Spiegel.
This article was translated from Gentside DE.
Read more:
⋙ Vladimir Putin critic Alexey Navalny reportedly sent to prison known for torture and abuse
⋙ Vladimir Putin critic Alexey Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, is the 'real' First Lady of Russia
