Alexey Navalny shares first message from new Arctic prison after feared disappearance

Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny has delivered his first message to the public since he resurfaced in a prison in Russia’s Far North after a 19-day period during which his team had no contact with him and did not know his whereabouts.

In a dispatch shared to social media, Navalny said he was transferred to the remote village of Kharp from his previous prison in Vladimir via a roundabout route that took him through Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Kirov, and Vorkuta.

The high-profile dissident said he’s “exhausted” but “fine” and “in a good mood,” calling himself a “Santa Claus” for the beard he inadvertently grew during his journey.