2023-12-26 11:45 United News Network 24 hours around the corner Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny finally confirmed on December 25…
Putin’s old enemy Navalny is exiled to the Arctic Circle: where is the “Polar Wolf” prison?
“Putin’s long-lost political enemy was exiled to a labor camp in the Arctic Circle…” Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was originally imprisoned by Putin, but he suddenly lost contact with the outside world. In the past 20 days, it was not until December 25 that his whereabouts were finally confirmed – Navalny was quietly transferred to the IK-3 federal prison in northwest Russia, located in the Arctic Circle, nicknamed “Polar Wolf”, which was a Soviet-era prison. Remaining labor camps. Why did Putin choose this time to go to such trouble to transfer Navalny? What kind of place is the polar wolf prison that isolates Navalny?
In December this year, Russia officially set the date for the next presidential election as March 17, 2024. Current President Vladimir Putin also announced his candidacy. There is almost no suspense about his re-election. Although Putin’s most troublesome political rival in the past, opposition leader Navalny, has been imprisoned, the Kremlin authorities secretly moved him to prison in order to isolate him and prevent him from causing trouble.
Russian independent media“Meduza” reportNavalny was originally imprisoned in Correctional Colony Number 6, more than 100 kilometers away from Moscow. However, around the time when the election news was announced, Navalny missed two consecutive video hearings. The lawyer started from December 6 He has been unable to be contacted since then, and a Kremlin spokesman even stated that he “does not know his whereabouts.” This once made the outside world very worried about his safety.
It was not until December 25 that Navalny’s secretary Kira Yarmysh tweeted that “he has been found.”She revealed that Navalny has now been transferred to Russia’s far northIK-3 Penal Colony, is also a federal prison known as the “Polar Wolf”. Navalny’s lawyer Ivan Zhdanov described it as one of Russia’s “most northern and remote” prisons. However, Zedanov has successfully visited him and believes that Navalny currently appears to be “in good condition.”
The picture shows an action in support of Navalny in Berlin, Germany, on December 16, 2023.Photo/Reuters
▌Where is the “Arctic Wolf” prison?
Headquartered in the Netherlands“Moscow Times” report, IK-3 Federal Prison (IK-3 Penal Colony) is located in the town of Kharp in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia, about 2,000 kilometers northwest of Moscow. Halpu Town has only about 5,000 residents. It is located at 66.8 degrees north latitude, already within the Arctic Circle. The average temperature in December is about -9°C to -15°C, and the lowest temperature can be as low as -22°C to -30°C.
In addition to its extremely harsh geographical location, the IK-3 prison itself is a notorious place for serious criminals, with a maximum capacity of 1,085 people. IK-3 prison was founded in 1961. It was formerly a reform-through-labor camp during the Soviet era (also known as the infamous Gulag). Prisoners who were exiled here in the early days were not only deprived of their freedom, but also had to work in quarries and other places. Heavy labor work.
From the 1960s to the 1970s, IK-3 prison was gradually expanded, including the canteen, prisoner dormitories, boiler room, infirmary, laundry room, etc., and the first batch of serious recidivists were sent to this place in 1967; by the time of the last leader of the Soviet Union In 1985, when Gorbachev came to power and implemented reforms, prisoners in IK-3 prison began to work in the manufacturing industry at minimum wages. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the IK-3 prison came under the jurisdiction of the Russian government. The Russian government began to reform the penal system in 1998. The jurisdiction of the IK-3 prison was transferred from the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Justice, and the following year it was handed over to the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region Government. Directly under the jurisdiction of the Executive Department.
In addition to the IK-3 prison “Polar Wolf” in Harpur Town, there is also an IK-18 prison specifically for life prisoners and serial murderers, called the “Polar Owl”.
Independent journalist Leonid Nikitinsky, who visited the IK-3 prison in 2006, said that the prison “has always been used to house dangerous repeat offenders.” Human rights lawyer Igor Kalyapin also pointed out: “Navalny was sent to such a distant place (Russian authorities) should be to ensure that he is isolated to the greatest extent possible.”
“Navalny was sent so far away probably (Russian authorities) to ensure that he received maximum isolation.” Picture…
According to reports, the town of Harp is backed by the Polar Urals, and on the other side is hundreds of kilometers of tundra frozen soil. People who have been there believe that “it is almost impossible to escape from there.”
In addition, prisoners may be subjected to extreme physical and mental torture here. Many prisoners have reported in court or during interviews that when they were imprisoned in IK-3 Prison, the prison authorities only issued a pair of winter boots and badly worn old prison uniforms, lacking most of the necessities of life. After the prison clothes are damaged, the prison may refuse to provide replacement clothes. In 2022, a prisoner, Sergei Sheikhin, complained that he was locked in a cell with no natural light and no hot water. The local inspection agency also reported at least twice last year about poor conditions at IK-3 prison, including violations of labor laws, fire regulations and health regulations.
Mikho Khulilidze, a prisoner who was also imprisoned here, revealed that the prison authorities may have violently tortured prisoners. “When a prisoner enters the prison, they are taken to the bathroom, and when he takes off his clothes to take a shower, the water is turned off, and someone with a mask comes in and starts beating him.”
Hulilidez said that about 15 people, including prisoners and jailers, surrounded him and beat him for about 1.5 hours. “They beat me to the ground and used sticks and fists to hit my body, head, face, and ribs.” He said that after being beaten violently, the prison did not provide any medical assistance.
The 47-year-old Navalny is the strongest dissident against Putin in Russia. He has launched anti-corruption investigations targeting high-level government officials and state-owned enterprises, and has repeatedly called for “anti-Putin resistance.” He is one of the very few influential people in Russia. A liberal figure capable of mobilizing the country and younger generations. He had previously been sentenced to a total of 11 and a half years in prison for fraud and other charges. In early August this year, the Russian authorities additionally charged Navalny with inciting and financing extremist activities and sentenced him to 19 years in prison.
The 47-year-old Navalny is Russia’s strongest dissident against Putin. He has launched attacks on high-level government officials and state-owned enterprises… In the past 24 hours, Russia
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2023-12-26 03:45:32
