Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny made his first public appearance since associates lost contact with him three weeks ago, releasing a sardonic statement about his transfer to an Arctic prison colony known as the “Polar Wolf.” Navalny, a persistent critic of President Vladimir Putin, is serving a 19-year sentence on an extremism conviction. His supporters had lost contact with him on December 6, but on Monday, it was revealed that he had been transferred to a prison colony in the Yamalo-Nenets region, known for its harsh conditions.
In a tweet, Navalny referred to himself as the “new Santa Claus” and mentioned his location above the Arctic Circle in the prison in the town of Kharp. The Yamalo-Nenets region is known for its long and severe winters. Navalny, known for his sharp sense of humor, expressed a good mood but highlighted the discouraging darkness of the northern winter, saying, “I don’t say ‘Ho-ho-ho,’ but I do say ‘Oh-oh-oh’ when I look out of the window, where I can see night, then the evening, and then the night again.”
Navalny’s transfer to a remote prison comes as Putin announced his intention to run for another term as president in the March election. Supporters of Navalny argue that the transfer was orchestrated to keep him out of sight during Putin’s reelection bid. Navalny has been in Russian custody since January 2021, campaigning against corruption and organizing anti-Kremlin protests. He returned to Moscow after recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning, which he attributed to the Kremlin. Navalny has faced multiple prison terms and isolation in penal colonies, rejecting all charges as politically motivated.