Kremlin takes swipe at Navalny's reputation as he is sent to prison colony

Opposition leader faces accusations over nationalist past but allies call for support to ensure his safety

The Kremlin is taking aim at Alexei Navalny's reputation, as the opposition leader was sent to a prison colony in Russia, a journey into a grey zone" where supporters say he will need maximum international support to ensure his safety.

For years Navalny was a phantom in Russian state media, his name studiously absent from the lips of top officials and news anchors. A favourite game among the opposition was to write his name on a snowbank - municipal workers would often arrive shortly after to sweep it away.