I am your new Santa Claus, Alexei Navalny jokes from Arctic prison

Demonstrators gather outside the home of Russian ambassador Sergei Netshaev in Berlin while contact was lost with Alexei Navalny (Paul Zinken/dpa via AP)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has made his first comments about his transfer to an Arctic prison colony nicknamed the “Polar Wolf”, in his first appearance since associates lost contact with him three weeks ago.

Mr Navalny, the most prominent and persistent domestic foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is serving a 19-year sentence on an extremism conviction.