Aleksei Navalny’s fate and whereabouts have been unknown since his lawyers last heard of him on 5 December. On 11 December, officials at the penal colony where he was serving an unjust 19-year jail sentence notified his lawyers that he was no longer officially listed in that penal colony. It is possible that he may be in transit to another prison colony, which can last weeks without any information provided to the prisoner’s relatives. Transfers nearly always put inmates’ health and well-being at risk as they are exposed to mistreatment and harassment. Aleksei Navalny has been constantly targeted for harsher treatment by prison administrations since his arbitrary arrest in January 2021.
