Supporters of Safronov confirm that the 33 year old man has been moved from the prison colony in Areiskoye in the Krasnoyarsk region to the far north.
The transfer to Colony No 15 in Norilsk reportedly happened on the 12th of September.
As soon as he arrived in Norilsk, he was taken to a local tuberculosis hospital. It is expected that Safronov soon will be taken back to prison.
“Ivan is completely healthy, vigorous as before and he says hello to everybody,” his lawyer says to newspaper Kommersant.
The journalist for several years worked for Kommersant before he was hired as adviser in Roscosmos, the state space agency. He was detained in July 2020 and charge with sharing state secrets with the Czech security service. Safronov has rebuffed all allegations and his case is widely seen as politically motivated.
It is not clear why Safronov was transferred to the north Siberian city, but it is not uncommon that Russian prison authorities move inmates between institutions across the country.
The tuberculosis hospital in Norilsk is reportedly the biggest in Siberia and can house up to 1,300 patents.
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That is the same number as the capacity of the local prison colony where Safronov soon will be moved. Despite the harsh Arctic climate in the area, the Colony No 15 is considered a relatively well-provided prison, Kommersant reports.
Norilsk is known as a former GULAG camp and industrial hub for mining and metallurgy company Nornickel. It has several smelters and is one of the most polluted cities on earth.
