Nika Novak, a former contributor to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) who was sentenced last year by a Russian court for her professional work, has disappeared from a correctional facility in Siberia, her lawyer confirmed Monday.
Julia Kuznetsova reported on social media that Novak appeared to be in the process of being transferred from Penal Colony No. 11 in Bozoy, Irkutsk region, though her ultimate destination remains unknown.
“This week, a fellow lawyer attempted to visit Nika but was denied access,” Kuznetsova wrote. She added that loud noises and the presence of numerous officers from the Investigative Committee were noted at the prison, but staff would not explain the situation.
When Kuznetsova called the prison on November 30 to inquire about Novak, she was refused information and asked to submit an official request, which she later did.
Novak was sentenced to four years in prison following a closed-door trial on charges of “confidential cooperation with a foreign state, organization, or entity”—a verdict she and human rights groups consider politically motivated and unjust.
Transferred to Penal Colony No. 11 on March 1, Novak reported torture-like conditions and went on hunger strike. She was placed in solitary confinement after refusing to give media interviews claiming prisoners were “happy” or to work as a seamstress.
Steve Capus, president of RFE/RL, called on Russian authorities to release Novak, stating that her conviction was designed to intimidate and silence individual journalists.
Prior to her arrest, Novak worked for ChitaMedia and served as editor-in-chief of Zab.ru, and contributed to the Siberia.Realities programs for RFE/RL in 2022.
Novak, 33, is the first journalist to be convicted under Article 275.1, a law introduced in 2022, months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
