Jailed Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has been declared missing by his lawyers and allies just days after Vladimir Putin announced he would run for a fifth presidential term next year.

Mr Navalny, 47, who is serving a 19-year-term on charges of extremism, was due to appear in court on Monday via videolink but did not show up, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said.

His lawyers said they have not been able to contact him since last Tuesday and that his whereabouts are now unknown.

The Russian opposition figure has been behind bars since January 2021, when he returned from Germany having recovered from a nerve agent poisoning attempt that he blamed on the Kremlin.

  • Chainweasel@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    We’re talking about him aren’t we? If he were a free man in exile, what are the odds you’d be reading his name this morning?

    • TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      He could be feeding quotes to the news every single day and the western media would eat it like cereal. I believe he would have way more impact if he didn’t gave up.

    • chitak166@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      If he were a free man in exile, what are the odds you’d be reading his name this morning?

      Prolly about as often as we hear Snowden.