Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Relieved and Exhausted After 20-Day Prison Transfer
Jailed Russian opposition leader Navalny relieved after exhausting 20-day prison transfer Navalny breaks silence from Siberian penal colony, speaking out for the first time since his sudden disappearance weeks ago
After being missing for several weeks, Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has finally spoken out. His team located him at a penal colony in Siberia on Monday. Navalny, known for his criticism of the Kremlin, expressed "relief" in a message shared by his aides on social media on Tuesday. He mentioned surviving a 20-day prison transfer covering thousands of miles.
"Taken here on Saturday night, I was moved with extreme care along a bizarre route (Vladimir - Moscow - Chelyabinsk - Ekaterinburg - Kirov - Vorkuta - Kharp). I didn't anticipate anyone discovering my location before mid-January," Navalny expressed on X, formerly Twitter.
"The 20 days of travel were incredibly draining, but I'm still in high spirits, much like Santa Claus," he remarked, also stating that he is doing well and feels "completely relieved" now that the journey is finally over.
CNN's calculations indicate that Navalny traveled more than 3,700 miles (approximately 6,000 kilometers) during his 20-day journey, averaging about 185 miles per day. Prior to his disappearance, Navalny was held in a penal colony located 150 miles east of Moscow. Following an intensive search effort, he was located in the IK-3 prison colony in the village of Kharp, which is about 40 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region.
In this file photo, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appears on a screen via video link from the IK-2 corrective penal colony in Pokrov for a court hearing to appeal against his prison sentence, in Moscow, Russia on May 17, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo
Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters/File
Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny located at Siberian penal colony two weeks after disappearance
His sudden absence raised immediate worries about his safety and occurred shortly after the announcement of Russian President Vladimir Putin's intention to run for re-election in March of next year.
Since 2000, Putin has essentially governed Russia, becoming progressively authoritarian with each passing decade. Opposition figures such as Navalny have frequently been imprisoned, silenced, or forced to flee the country.
Navalny is widely recognized as the leading opposition figure in Russia. During Putin's tenure, Navalny has utilized his blog and social media platforms to uncover purported corruption within the Kremlin and Russian business sectors, and has orchestrated protests against the government. Despite being incarcerated, his team continues to use his Instagram and Twitter accounts to criticize Putin and communicate messages to the public.
Navalny's recent updates mentioned meeting with his lawyer and expressing gratitude to his supporters. According to his spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's health has not deteriorated since his transfer, despite facing intense physical challenges.
Navalny's latest posts indicate that he is still in solitary confinement, but he did mention that he was able to take an outdoor walk in a courtyard. "I saw a convoy, not like in central Russia, but like in the movies - with machine guns, warm mittens, and felt boots. And with the same beautiful fluffy shepherd dogs," he wrote on X. "Thanks again to everyone for your support. And happy holidays!"
Navalny was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison in August for charges including creating an extremist community and financing extremist activities. He was already serving 11-and-a-half years in a maximum security facility for charges he denies. His supporters believe that his arrest and imprisonment are politically motivated in an attempt to silence his criticism of Putin.
