Navalny reportedly transferred to Moscow as part of new criminal investigation

Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, whom associates have been unable to locate for seven days, has been transferred to Moscow in connection with a new criminal case regarding vandalism, according to the Telegram channel Baza. Baza did not provide links to sources and noted that this information is preliminary and has not yet been confirmed. According to Baza, Moscow may not be the final destination of Navalny’s transfer.

On December 1, a message on Navalny’s social media said that a new criminal case had been initiated against him under an article on “vandalism.”

Navalny’s associates have been unable to locate him for seven days. On December 7 and 11, he failed to appear by video call in court due to what prison officials called issues with the prison’s electrical system.

On December 11, employees at Penal Colony No. 6 in Russia’s Vladimir region, where Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has been held since June 2022, said that Navalny is “no longer listed” in the prison’s roster of inmates, according to the politician’s lawyer.