Alexei Navalny's first statement after being reported missing for weeks: "Don't worry about me"
Found after two weeks of continuous search by his associates at a penal colony in Siberia, Russian opposition leader and President Vladimir Putin's critic Alexey Navalny said on December 26 that he was 'fine' after a 'pretty exhausting' 20-day transfer from his prison to a penal colony beyond the Arctic Circle, reported news agency AFP.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'm totally relieved that I've finally made it," he wrote on X, adding, "I'm still in a good mood, as befits a Santa Claus", referring to his winter clothing and beard.
His allies on Monday said he had been transferred to a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. Navalny also said he had seen his lawyer, reported Reuters.
Earlier, Navalny's spokesperson Kira Yarmysh, said in a statement on X, ""We have found Alexey," adding, "He is now in IK-3 in the settlement of Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District."
7/9 I also went for a walk. The yard is a neighboring cell, a bit bigger, with snow on the ground. And I saw a convoy, not like in central Russia, but like in the movies - with machine guns, warm mittens, and felt boots. And with the same beautiful fluffy shepherd dogs.
— Alexey Navalny (@navalny) December 26, 2023
