Putin critic Alexei Navalny in good spirits, calls himself Father Frost at prison north of Arctic Circle
Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has confirmed his arrival at what he described as a snow-swept prison above the Arctic Circle, saying he was in excellent spirits despite his tiring 20-day journey.
![Putin critic Alexei Navalny in good spirits, calls himself Father Frost at prison north of Arctic Circle](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7056777.1702408610!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/russia-navalny.jpg)
![FILE - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is seen on a TV screen as he appears in a video link provided by the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service from the colony in Melekhovo, Vladimir region, during a hearing at the Russian Supreme Court in Moscow, Russia, on June 22, 2023. The Kremlin on Tuesday Dec. 12, 2023 bristled at the U.S. voicing concern about Navalny who has vanished from his prison colony, denouncing it as “inadmissible interference” in the country's domestic affairs. Worries about Navalny, who has been serving a 19-year term on charges of extremism in a penal colony in western Russia spread Monday after prison officials said he was no longer on the inmate roster, possibly indicating his transfer to another penitentiary. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) A lightly pixelated screen shows a man with a buzz cut standing behind bars.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7056777.1702408610!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/russia-navalny.jpg)
Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has confirmed his arrival at what he described as a snow-swept prison above the Arctic Circle, saying he was in excellent spirits despite his tiring 20-day journey.