Russian Opposition Figure Navalny Files Three Lawsuits Against Prison

RYAZAN (Sputnik) - A district court in Russia's Vladimir Region has received three lawsuits from opposition activist Alexey Navalny against the prison where he is serving his sentence, he complains about the withdrawal of books, censorship of newspapers, and recognition as a person prone to escape, the court told Sputnik on Monday.

"He asks to recognise as illegitimate the decision not to give him access to books that he purchased, to recognise as illegitimate the actions of the employees of IK-2 [penal colony] who put him on the preventive record as a person prone to escape, and also to recognise as illegitimate ... the censorship of newspapers that Navalny receives, as some articles are cut out", the court said.

In this handout photo provided by Moscow City Court Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny talks to one of his lawyers, left, while standing in the cage during a hearing to a motion from the Russian prison service to convert the suspended sentence of Navalny from the 2014 criminal conviction into a real prison term in the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021.

© AP Photo / Moscow City Court

Judges have not yet accepted the materials for proceedings. The court will have to decide whether these issues are within its competence and, if so, whether the claims have been properly filed.

 

Navalny is now serving his term in prison over breaches of probation to his suspended sentence in the 2014 Yves Rocher fraud case.

Since the beginning of his term, he has been complaining about severe back and leg pain and demanded a medic of his own choice but was rejected. At the same time, he is refusing the treatment offered by the prison authorities.