The jailed politician was transferred to a maximum security prison in Melekhovo in the Vladimir region, according to the Russian state media TASS quoting Sergey Yazhan, chairman of the regional public oversight commission.
Yazhan told TASS on Tuesday that Navalny had arrived at the jail. However, Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter that despite media reports, Navalny’s team had not received confirmation of his transfer to Melekhovo.
The move comes in line with a judge’s ruling in March, when a Moscow court sentenced Navalny to nine years in prison with maximum security. He was convicted of fraud by a Moscow court in Lefortovo on charges of theft from his Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Navalny had mentioned the expected measure in a Telegram publication in May, writing in the dark that he had heard that a “prison inside a prison” was waiting for him in Melekhovo.
“My sentence has not yet come into force, but the prisoners of the Melekhovo strict regime colony write that they are equipping me with a ‘prison inside a prison,'” he wrote.
Lyudmila Romanova, the human rights commissioner for the Vladimir region – a local government ombudsman – told TASS on Tuesday that the prison has a good reputation.
Earlier on Tuesday, Navalny’s legal team said it did not know the whereabouts of the Kremlin’s open critic.
“He was transferred to a maximum security prison as a verdict [in the new criminal case] came into force, but we don’t know which one, “her lawyer Olga Mikhailova told CNN.” Where exactly it is is unknown to us. ”
“We will keep looking [for him]Mikhailova added.
According to Yarmysh, Navalny’s lawyers had come to the penal colony to meet with him and were informed that he was not there.