A group acting on behalf of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said on Monday that they had no knowledge of his location for six days. His lawyers could not locate him in prison, and they did not attend the hearing that had been scheduled for that day.
In a message posted on social media, spokesperson Kira Yarmish remarked, “For six days we still do not know where Alexei is or what has happened to him.”
What is publicly known is that Navalny is listed as being at Prison No. 6 in the Vladimir region, where he has served a sentence since June 2022. There are unconfirmed reports suggesting he may have been moved to another facility, the location of which remains unknown.
Prison officials reportedly did not acknowledge Navalny’s assertion about a new location. He has spent nearly thirty years in various correctional settings, a history that has shaped the perception of his treatment among his supporters and observers.
Navalny frequently appears in electronic form across multiple judicial fronts. He has indicated that a lawsuit had been filed against him and that a hearing was scheduled for Monday to address concerns about his treatment in prison. Yet he did not participate in that session, a development that has sparked concern among his supporters and human rights monitors alike.
Prison staff suggested that technical problems may have barred attendance at the prior session, a rationale echoed by the spokesperson who cautioned that Navalny’s health could be deteriorating. This uncertainty about his well-being adds to the alarm among those following his case.
On December 7, Navalny urged participation in the presidential vote against President Vladimir Putin ahead of the forthcoming elections. He called on Russians to cast ballots and to vote against Putin, implying that supporting any other candidate would represent a protest vote.
Navalny also announced the creation of a website, neputin.org, encouraging Russians to back all presidential candidates other than the current president. The site reportedly faced blocking shortly after its launch, complicating the call for an alternative to the incumbent leadership.
Putin, who signaled an intention to seek reelection in December 2020 during a ceremony honoring Russian soldiers active in Ukraine, persisted as a central figure in discussions surrounding the election and the wider political climate in Russia. The ongoing situation has drawn the attention of watchdogs and international observers who monitor human rights and the treatment of opposition figures within the country’s prison system, highlighting the broader concerns raised by civil society groups and independent monitors.