There was no sign of his life for weeks. Now it is known: Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was transferred to the Arctic penal camp “Polar Wolf”, one of the harshest prisons in Russia. Even there he still shows his sense of humor.
Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, missing for weeks, appeared relieved after his arrival at the famous “Polar Wolf” prison camp in the far north of Russia. “20 days on stage were very tiring, but my mood is still good,” said the 47-year-old in a letter published on social media this Tuesday.
In Russia, “on stage” refers to the transfer of prisoners to a penal camp. Navalny's team announced on Monday that the Kremlin leader's opponent, Vladimir Putin, was found by a lawyer at the IK-3 camp in Charp, in the Arctic Circle, after a long search.
“Do not worry about me.”
“I didn’t expect anyone to find me here before mid-January,” Navalny said. The transport was “quite strenuous” and followed a “strange route”, reports Navalny. He names the cities of Vladimir, Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Kirov, Vorkuta and Charp.
He thanked his team of lawyers and supporters who had been searching for him in various detention centers and prison camps for weeks. “Don’t worry about me,” he writes now. “I'm fine. I'm really happy I finally made it.”
“There are no reindeer, but cute sheepdogs”
Russian authorities have not provided any information about Navalny's whereabouts after he left the previous prison camp in the Vladimir region, around 260 kilometers from Moscow, in early December. The “Polarwolf” prison camp, famous for its brutal prison conditions, is located more than 2,000 kilometers from the capital. The region, which is difficult to access, is known for its permafrost soil.
Navalny also writes about the cold. He now wears a sheepskin coat, a ushanka hat and soon traditional Walenki winter boots. He also grew a beard during the 20-day journey across Russia and into the cold darkness of the Arctic region.
“There are no reindeer here, but there are huge, fluffy and very beautiful sheepdogs.” He is “your new Father Frost,” Navalny wrote humorously, in light of the New Year holidays in Russia that begin at the weekend. Father Frost, the Russian Santa Claus, delivers gifts on December 31st. “Instead of Ho-Ho-Ho, I say Och-Och-Och,” said the politician, who continues to show humor even after almost three years in prison. (ag/red)