Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny reportedly disappears from prison, claims his team

Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, currently imprisoned in a penal colony east of Moscow, has been reported missing by his team on Monday. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Navalny was sentenced to 19 years in prison in August for creating an extremist community, financing extremist activities, and other crimes. Prior to this, he was already serving an 11-and-a-half-year sentence in a maximum security facility over fraud and other charges that he denies.

Navalny's supporters allege that his arrest and imprisonment are an effort to silence his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to spokesperson Kira Yarmysh, lawyers have tried to gain access to two penal colonies near Moscow where Navalny, who has had significant health problems, was thought to be located. However, they were told that the 47-year-old was not at either the IK-6 or IK-7 penal colonies.

Yarmysh posted on Friday that neither IK-6 nor IK-7 had responded, adding that Navalny had been missing for six days. Navalny was last held in the IK-6 penal colony east of Moscow. This is a developing story and will be updated.