Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been moved from the penal colony he was previously serving time at, according to his allies. Although, it was not disclosed where he was taken, sparking concerns about his whereabouts and well-being. The disclosure that Navalny was moved out of Penal Colony No. 6, in the town of Melekhovo in the Vladimir region, came at a hearing on a lawsuit he had filed against officials at the maximum security facility. There are growing concerns for his safety and health as his lawyers have not been able to meet with him since December 6, and it was reported that he fainted due to hunger.

BREAKING: Alexey Navalny has been removed from the penal colony where he was serving his jail sentence

— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) December 11, 2023

Navalny's allies and international supporters have raised alarm about his treatment, as he has not been seen by his lawyers since Dec. 6. Plans have been in place for Navalny's expected transfer to a "special regime" colony, the harshest grade in Russia's prison system. Russian prison transfers are notorious for taking a long time, sometimes weeks, during which there’s no access to prisoners, with information about their whereabouts limited or unavailable. The whereabouts of Navalny, 47, have been unknown since his lawyers lost touch with him after Dec. 6. Navalny's foundation has raised concerns about his deteriorating health, with reports emerging that he had fallen ill and fainted "out of hunger" at Penal Colony No. 6.

In response, the U.S. State Department expressed deep concern over Navalny's well-being and reminded the Russian authorities that they were responsible for what happened to him. Navalny, who is President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, has been serving a 19-year term on charges of extremism and has rejected all charges against him as politically motivated. His arrival at the new facility, which was not named in the note, would be disclosed within the framework of current legislation, the note said. His supporters view him as a heroic figure, while the Russian authorities view him and his supporters as extremists with links to the CIA intelligence agency.

They have also outlawed his movement, forcing many of his followers to flee abroad. Where he was taken is not known, Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said, adding that lawyers had been told that he left the Vladimir region on Dec. 11. When asked about Navalny's situation, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin did not have the capacity, or right, or desire, to track the fates of prisoners serving sentences by order of a court.