Russian court filings show two Navalny court hearings postponed until January

Judges in Russia have halted the new criminal proceedings for the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Two court hearings were due to take place on Monday (Dec 18), but the court filings showed that they have been postponed until January. 

The 47-year-old Navalny is President Vladimir Putin’s main political opponent, but he has not been seen in the past few days as his lawyers have been prevented from meeting him since December 6. He did not appear for a scheduled court hearing on Friday. 

His allies have raised the alarm about his whereabouts. They had been preparing for his expected transfer to a “special regime” colony, which is reportedly the harshest grade in Russia’s prison system. 

Reports have mentioned that the process of shifting a person there may take weeks in Russia as prisoners are slowly moved by rail between distant facilities. 

Navalny was sentenced in August to an additional 19 years in prison on top of the 11-1/2 years he was already serving. He denies all the charges. 

He is a former lawyer who gained popularity by publicly criticising Putin’s elite and alleging vast corruption. 

Kira Yarmysh, who is Navalny’s spokesperson, posted on X that it was the 13th day without news of Navalny since lawyers last had access to him. 

Yarmysh said on social media: “Alexei is supposed to have seven court (appearances) today. The first two have already taken place – he was not even there on video link.

“The cases have been suspended until ‘Navalny’s whereabouts are established’,” Yarmysh said. 

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UN expert alarmed over Navalny’s ‘disappearance’ 

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Russia, Mariana Katzarova said: “I am greatly concerned that the Russian authorities will not disclose Mr Navalny’s whereabouts and well-being for such a prolonged period of time, which amounts to enforced disappearance.” 

According to Katzarova, she had raised her concerns with the Russian authorities after Navalny’s team were told last week he had been removed from the Vladimir region near Moscow on December 11 and taken to an undisclosed location. 

(With inputs from agencies)