Opposition Leader Alexey Navalny's Whereabouts Unknown, Allies Say
Allies of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny have reported that he is no longer in the penal colony where he had been imprisoned since last year, and they are unable to locate him.
"Today, as on Friday, the lawyers attempted to visit IK-6 and IK-7, two colonies in the Vladimir region where Alexey [Navalny] might be," said his spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, in a social media post on Monday. "They were simultaneously informed in both colonies that he is not there. We still do not know where Alexey is."
Navalny's disappearance comes at the start of the campaign period for the upcoming Russian presidential elections. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last Friday that he will be running for another 6-year term.
"The timing of this event (although Navalny should have been transferred to another facility two months ago) - now that "elections" have been announced and Navalny's team has launched the 'Russia without Putin' campaign - is not a coincidence and is purely a political move orchestrated by the Kremlin," stated Leonid Volkov, chief of staff for Navalny's team, on social media.
"Putin is well aware of his main opponent in these 'elections.' He wants to ensure that Navalny's voice is silenced. Therefore, it is crucial for everyone to become the voice of Navalny," Volkov added.
