supporters of Alexeï Navalny, transferred to the Arctic, denounce a maneuver by Vladimir Putin

The opponent of Vladimir Putin has now been detained, since the beginning of December, in a penal colony beyond the Arctic Circle. This transfer, which takes place three months before the presidential elections, is a political maneuver on the part of the Kremlin, according to the opponent’s supporters.

According to them, there is no doubt: the timing was chosen. A few days before Orthodox Christmas, Alexeï Navalny is far from everything, 3,000 kilometers from Moscow. As his supporters feared, Vladimir Putin’s number one opponent was transferred to a new penal colony. After 19 days without news from Alexeï Navalny, his lawyers managed to find him.

Until now incarcerated in a region near Moscow, Navalny is now in Kharp, a penal colony in northern Siberia, above the Arctic Circle, where he is serving his 19-year prison sentence for “extremism”.

“We are not talking about a normal prison system”

His supporters see it as a political maneuver by the Kremlin to try to silence the Kremlin’s number one enemy three months before the next presidential elections, and in the middle of the holiday season. “Alexeï Navalny is sent beyond the Arctic Circle and it is not insignificant that it is exactly at this time, believes Olga Prokopieva, of the Russia-Libertés association. It’s to isolate him, to break him morally. These are very difficult conditions of detention where he cannot receive letters or family visits. It’s very complicated for his lawyers to see him. In addition, the climatic conditions in this region are very harsh, and will be an additional blow to his morale.”. In the middle of winter, in the Arctic, the sun is visible for barely two hours a day.

“The goal of the Russian authorities, and not only in the case of Alexei Navalny, but for all Putin activists, is to isolate them as much as possible.deciphers Evgénia Kara-Murza, wife of another opponent of the Kremlin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, imprisoned in Siberia, convicted of “high treason” after denouncing the war in Ukraine. My husband has been held in complete isolation since September in Siberia in a cell measuring three meters by two, torture conditions. We never know what to expect unfortunately because we are not talking about a normal prison system in a democratic country. These people are persecuted, prosecuted for opposing Vladimir Putin’s policies. The system uses all the instruments of repression against them, which were used during the Soviet years, including physical and psychological torture. I fear for my husband’s life every day.”

Scare the few opponents still at large

For Kira Yarmysh, Alexeï Navalny’s spokesperson, Moscow is trying to scare the few opponents still at liberty and who have not fled Russia a few weeks before the election. “Alexei was taken out of his prison near Moscow and transferred from the 6 December. The next day, we launched an anti-Putin campaign, and the date of the presidential election was announced the same day.she says.

“It’s clear that those in power want to hide him, to silence him.”

Kira Yarmysh, Alexeï Navalny’s spokesperson

at franceinfo

“Navalny is Putin’s main political opponent, even though his name is not on any ballot paper”she continues.

His spokesperson assures that Alexeï Navalny “doing well” but worries about his health. He survived a poisoning three years ago and has reportedly not seen a doctor since.