The team of the missing, imprisoned opposition politician Navalny in Russia has offered rewards for information about his whereabouts. There has been no trace of Navalny for more than two weeks.
Alexei Navalny’s team in Russia is offering rewards to search for the imprisoned opposition politician who has been missing for over two weeks. Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Jarmysch told the news portal zdfheute.de.
“Right now we’re still hopeful that someone can give us information,” she said. “Actually, when a prisoner is transported, at least other prisoners notice something. Often there are guards who see something too.”
Authorities: Navalny no longer in prison camp
Lawyers last had contact with the Kremlin critic in a prison camp in the Vladimir region east of Moscow more than two weeks ago. Since then, there has been no trace of Navalny, who is internationally classified as a political prisoner.
The only word from the Russian authorities was that he was no longer in the camp. Legally, there are no restrictions on how long a transfer between two prisons can take, said Jarmysch. “So anything can happen to him during this time. He is now completely at the mercy of the people who tried to kill him three years ago,” she said. In 2020, Navalny barely survived a poison attack that he attributed to the Russian secret service.
Navalny’s team sees presidential election as a reason
His team sees the approaching presidential election in Russia, in which head of state Vladimir Putin wants to be confirmed, as the reason for the opposition politician’s abduction.
“The Kremlin didn’t want Alexei to make any statements during this time. That’s why I’m sure Putin gave the order to transport Alexei somewhere,” Yarmysh said. The USA and other countries are demanding clarification from Russia about Navalny’s whereabouts.
In August, Navalny was sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison, in addition to the 11 and a half years he is currently serving. Navalny was convicted, among other things, of extremism. His political movement was banned and close associates were imprisoned or fled abroad. Navalny rejects all allegations as politically motivated: They were aimed at silencing his criticism of President Vladimir Putin. Navalny is the best-known figure in Russia’s fragmented opposition.