The United States is “deeply concerned” over the reported disappearance of Russian dissident and political prisoner Alexey Navalny. On December 11, Navalny’s spokesman announced that his lawyers had been unable to reach him for days, and that Navalny did not appear by video link for a scheduled court date.
Navalny is Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic and political opponent, as well as Russia’s foremost anti-corruption campaigner. After a decade of harassment by the authorities, in 2020 Navalny survived an assassination attempt in Russia – poisoning from the chemical agent Novichok. After recovering in Germany, he insisted on returning to Russia where he was immediately arrested and imprisoned on spurious, politically motivated charges.
In August 2023, Navalny was sentenced to an additional 19 years on charges of extremism. He had been serving time in a prison camp east of Moscow under extremely harsh conditions, including prolonged periods of solitary confinement. His lawyers were finally informed he was no longer in the camp, but authorities refused to say where he had been moved.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that the United States is “deeply concerned” for Navalny’s well-being.
“We have communicated to the Russian Government that they are responsible for what happens to Mr. Navalny,” he said. “We have repeatedly joined Mr. Navalny’s family, his colleagues, [and] supporters around the world in calling for his immediate release without conditions and for the Russian Government to end its continued repression of independent voices in Russia who are subject to relentless harassment and intimidation for exercising their human rights.”
Earlier this year, the United States deplored “the more than 500 political prisoners” held in Russia. Spokesperson Miller said the United States “will continue to follow the cases of everyone in Russia who has been illegally detained.”
