Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is serving an eight-year prison sentence, is facing new criminal proceedings following a “provocation” staged by the prison where he is being held, his spokeswoman said today.
“A new criminal case has been opened against Alexei while he is in prison, due to ‘provocation,'” Kira Yarmish wrote in a post on the social network Twitter.
2/6 The conviction with personal hygiene problems was put back in Navalny’s cell. This was done while Alexey himself was absent. The stench was so strong that Navalny refused to go in there.
– Кира Ярмыш (@Kira_Yarmysh) April 18, 2023
That explains the spokeswoman a prisoner with “problems with personal hygiene” was placed back in Navalny’s cell while he was away.
According to Kira Yarmish, when she returned to the cell, “the smell was such that Alexei refused to enter”.
“According to the ‘rules’ of the Russian prison, he would be forced to physically evict the prisoner, but the opponent told the guards that he would not do that because this prisoner is not at fault and the administration [do estabelecimento prisional] used him as an instrument,” the spokeswoman said.
Still according to Kira Yarmish’s account, prison guards immediately called a rapid response team, wearing body armor, and Navalny was “beaten and dragged into the cell”.
Once in the cell, the spokeswoman continued, the Russian opponent grabbed the other prisoner by the neck and dragged him to the door.
“Immediately they surrounded Navalny, pushed him against the wall and the prison management informed him about the opening of a new criminal procedure, under an article related to ‘disruption of the activity of penitentiaries’, which can lead to a prison sentence of up to five years,” the spokeswoman said.
Kira Yarmish stressed that this is the tenth criminal case against the leader of the Russian opposition, who “already faces up to 35 years in prison” in all cases.
“This is not enough for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who wants Alexei to remain in prison forever and demands that new criminal cases be brought against him using completely inhumane methods,” the spokeswoman concluded.
Source: DN
