Former RFE/RL contributor Nika Novak, who was sentenced to prison last year by a Russian court for carrying out her professional duties, has disappeared from a Siberian correctional colony, her lawyer said.
Yulia Kuznetsova said in a social media post that it appeared Novak was being transferred from Penal Colony No. 11 in the village of Bozoy in the Irkutsk region, though her destination was unknown.
"This week, a lawyer colleague of mine tried to visit Nika, but was denied entry," Kuznetsova wrote. "He noticed a loud noise and a large number of Investigative Committee officers in the colony. The prison staff are not explaining what exactly happened."
Kuznetsova said she called the colony on November 30 for information on Novak but was rejected and told to submit a request, which she subsequently did.
Novak was handed a four-year sentence after a closed-door trial for "confidential cooperation with a foreign state, international or foreign organization" -- a sentence she and rights organizations consider unjust.
She was transferred to Penal Colony No. 11 on March 1, where she complained about torture-like conditions before going on a hunger strike.
SEE ALSO: RFE/RL Journalist Ihar Losik Freed After More Than 5 Years Of Brutal Detention In BelarusShe has said she was placed in solitary confinement for refusing to give media interviews about how "everything is fine in the colony and the prisoners are happy" and for refusing to work as a seamstress.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Steve Capus has called on Russian authorities to release Novak, saying her conviction on "politically motivated charges are aimed at silencing and chilling individual reporters."
Before her arrest, Novak had worked for ChitaMedia and was editor in chief of the Zab.ru website. She contributed to programs by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities in 2022.
The 33-year-old's case marked the first time that a journalist was sentenced under Article 275.1, a crime that was only introduced in 2022 in the months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Rights experts have criticized the conception and wording of the law, while Human Rights Watch called the legislation "reminiscent of the Soviet-era ban on contacts with foreigners" in its 2023 World Report.
On July 22, 2024, leading Russian human rights group Memorial recognized Novak as a political prisoner.
Her detention has also been condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Coalition for Women in Journalism, and the International Press Institute, which said Nika's sentencing was "made possible by Russia's continued instrumentalization of its own legislation with the aim of repressing independent journalists and other critical voices."