Russian crackdown on opposition in the style of the USSR

One of the main critics of the Kremlin, Alexei Navalny, has arrived in a part of Russia located 200 kilometers east of Moscow, in a penal colony where he was transferred to serve his sentence, the Moscow Public Monitoring Commission (ONK) reported on Sunday.

"Alexei Navalny has arrived at a Russian penal institution in the Vladimir region where he will serve his sentence," the ONK statement reads.

The commission's general secretary, Alexei Melnikov, told Interfax that Navalny, who was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, would first spend some time in quarantine before being transferred to one of the penal colonies in the region.

According to sources contacted by journalists from TASS and Ria Novosti agencies, Navalny will soon be transferred to penal colony number 2, located in the town of Pokrov, in the Vladimir region of European Russia.

According to Russian media, "usual rules" apply in this type of colony, meaning that prison conditions are somewhat less severe than in other departments and that about 800 prisoners serve their sentences there.

On Friday, the head of the Russian prison services, Alexander Kalashnikov, assured journalists that Navalny had been "transferred to where he should be in accordance with the court's decision" and that the opposition politician "is not in danger to his life or health."

Navalny will "serve his sentence in absolutely normal conditions," Kalashnikov said, adding that the prisoner, if he wishes, will participate in some activities in the production facilities.

Such penal colonies are a legacy of the Soviet Union. Most prison sentences in today's Russia are served in such labor camps, which are often very far from all major cities and other facilities. The work of prisoners there is mandatory, and it most often involves sewing workshops or those that produce furniture.

On Thursday, Navalny's lawyers and relatives informed the public about his departure from the Moscow detention center where he had been held since his arrest.

Last week, the Russian judiciary confirmed the conviction of the 44-year-old Russian activist for a 2014 fraud case, which he, as well as numerous Western countries and non-governmental organizations, consider political.

Navalny was arrested on January 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent almost five months recovering from poisoning, which he blames on the Kremlin. He was also fined for "defamation," and several more court cases are pending.