Kremlin's fiercest critic endures life in Siberian penal colony

One of the Kremlin's most ardent critics is serving a 25-year prison sentence for critiquing the regime. In February, he was moved to a high-security penal colony in Siberia. Vladimir Kara-Murza was imprisoned two years ago after denouncing Vladimir Putin's government as a "regime of murderers." Following the death of Alexander Navalny, the journalist has now become the most prominent prisoner in Russia.

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Putin eliminates anyone who dares to criticize his rule publicly. However, the despot disposes of his adversaries through varied schemes. Some are murdered in treacherous manners; others are discreetly eliminated in a way that serves as a deterrent to would-be rebels.

Survivors of assassination attempts, peculiar traffic accidents and novichok poisonings often end up in a cramped, cold cell, facing danger every day. As reported by the "Daily Mail", this is precisely what life in cell number nine of the IK-6 prison colony in the Siberian city of Omsk is like for journalist and politician Vladimir Kara-Murza. Since Alexei Navalny's death in a similar penal colony in the Arctic, he has become the leading figure of the Russian opposition.

The wake-up call in his cell is at 10 AM GMT to hear the Russian national anthem being played by a speaker. Five minutes later, guards collect his pillow and mattress. Shortly afterwards, the metal frame of his bed affixed to the wall, is locked away, rendering it unusable for the remainder of the day.

Occasionally, he is allowed to walk in a small courtyard. However, it’s often so cold that taking a stroll is out of the question. Despite being under constant camera surveillance, he is subjected to personal inspections twice a day.

Like the recently killed Navalny, Kara-Murza could have chosen to stay in the West, away from the shadows of Russia. Instead, he decided to return, aiming to be part of Russia's transformation and to see the end of Putin's reign of terror.

Yet, the despot continues to thrive. Kara-Murza, as detailed by the British newspaper, spends his days listening to patriotic propaganda songs or monotonous recitations of the penal colony's regulations.

During every interaction with the prison staff, the prisoner must recite the official statement: "Kara-Murza, Vladimir Vladimirovich, born 7 September 1981, convicted based on article 284 section 1 part one, 207 section 3 part two, 275. Sentence start date 22nd April 2022. End date of sentence 21st April 2047."

Among other reasons, he is imprisoned for condemning the "special military operation", which is now officially recognised as a war in Russia. Kara-Murza is still serving a 25-year sentence for "spreading false news."

Omsk is one of hundreds of locations of the Main Directorate of Corrective Labor Camps. Russian gulags, established by Stalin, faded after the USSR's collapse but experienced a revival under Putin's regime.

According to Olga Romanova, who leads an organization focused on prisoners' rights in Russia, the total number of convicts in the country stands at roughly 430,000, one of the highest figures in Europe, alongside Belarus and Turkey. The number of individuals incarcerated since the start of the Ukraine invasion is about 100,000.

Often, criminals who agree to fight at the front are released from prison. However, their places are quickly filled by others who, like Kara-Murza, protest against the war.

Source: "Daily Mail"