Concerns Raised Over Lack of Contact with Imprisoned Russian Dissident Navalny

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Concerns Raised Over Lack of Contact with Imprisoned Russian Dissident Navalny

Supporters of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader currently in prison, raised concerns on Monday due to a lack of communication with him for six days. Navalny, serving a 19-year sentence for extremism charges, failed to appear for a scheduled court session via video link, as reported by his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh. She attributed his absence to electrical issues stated by prison authorities. Recent days have also seen Navalny’s legal representatives unable to reach him.

Yarmysh expressed alarm in a message on X (previously known as Twitter), stating, “For six consecutive days, there’s been no information on Alexei’s whereabouts or his condition.”

At 47 years old, Navalny has been incarcerated since January 2021. Known as a vehement critic of President Vladimir Putin, he has led significant protests against government corruption and organized major opposition movements against the Kremlin. Navalny’s arrest followed his return to Moscow from Germany, where he was recovering from a nerve agent attack, which he attributes to the Kremlin.

Navalny’s imprisonment includes three separate sentences and prolonged periods of solitary confinement in a Vladimir region penal colony. He consistently denies all accusations, labeling them as politically driven.

Yarmysh noted that last week, Navalny’s lawyers were repeatedly denied access after waiting for hours at the colony. Additionally, Navalny was absent from scheduled video-linked court hearings, and his correspondences were not delivered. Yarmysh highlighted concerns especially in light of Navalny’s recent health scare, describing an incident where he collapsed, was placed on a bed, and given intravenous treatment. The exact cause remains unknown, but Yarmysh suggested malnutrition and poor prison conditions as possible factors.

Despite appearing relatively stable after the incident, Navalny is slated for transfer to a high-security penal colony. Transfers within the Russian prison system are infamous for lengthy durations and limited prisoner accessibility, often leaving their exact location unknown.

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