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Following his conviction last summer on conspiracy charges, Navalny was due to be moved to a “special security” facility, the most heavily restricted facility in a Russian prison, but was not notified. by Russian prison officials, prosecutors or Navalny’s family. its new location.
The White House, which has repeatedly called for Navalny’s release, said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of his disappearance.
“He should never have been jailed in the first place, and we will work with our ambassador in Moscow to see how much we can get,” John Kirby said. , the spokesperson for the National Security Council, to reporters on Air. Power One.
In recent days, Navalny’s lawyers visited IK-6 as well as the nearby colony, IK-7, where he was supposed to be moved, but without success, Yarmysh said.
“On Friday and throughout the day, neither IK-6 nor IK-7 responded to them,” Yarmysh said, adding that Navalny had been missing for six days. “It is still unclear where Alexei is.”
Navalny was supposed to appear in court via video link on Monday, but was unable to do so. Prison authorities told Navalny’s group that there were electrical problems in the prison.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Yarmysh said that Navalny has recently been in poor health, raising concerns about his condition.
“The fact that we can’t find Alexei is the most dangerous because last week he fell ill in his cell: he started to feel dizzy and lay on the floor,” he wrote. . “The colonel’s staff came quickly, lowered the bed, laid Alexey down and put (him) on the IV.”
Navalny’s disappearance follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement last week that he is expected to run for re-election in March.
Navalny, who survived a chemical weapons attack in August 2020, is Putin’s staunch opponent and has worked with supporters to develop a so-called “smart vote” system that has encouraged Russian citizens vote for any candidate other than those loyal to Putin. Navalny’s political career has been largely abandoned and many of his supporters are in exile.
Navalny was arrested in January 2021 after returning to Moscow from Germany where he was treated after the poison attack. Over the years, Navalny has organized numerous Kremlin protests and launched numerous investigations into government corruption, including Putin’s personal wealth.
From prison, Navalny spoke out strongly against Putin’s war in Ukraine, calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and for compensation to be paid using Russian oil and gas revenues. He also called for limiting the powers of the Russian president to support the power of the parliament.