Russian opponent Alexeï Navalny says he is detained in a "concentration camp"
View of the IK-2 penal colony, where Russian opponent Alexei Navalny is being held, in the city of Pokrov, Vladimir region, February 28, 2021. REUTERS - TATYANA MAKEYEVA
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
His relatives had been wondering where Alexeï Navalny was for several days, after his conviction in February to two and a half years in prison.
Through his lawyers, the opponent has let it be known that he is in a penal colony located about a hundred kilometers from Moscow.
The IK-2 colony, reputed to be one of the toughest in Russia.
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With our correspondent in Moscow,
Daniel Vallot
The message posted on social networks is accompanied by an undated photo of
Alexei Navalny
, with a shaved head, staring into space: a premonitory photo of the fate of Russia's most famous opponent.
In the message,
Alexei Navalny confirms that he is in the IK-2 penal colony
located in the Vladimir region.
“
The Russian prison system continues to surprise me
, ironically Alexeï Navalny,
I did not think that we could build a concentration camp 100 kilometers from Moscow.
"
The opponent describes a very harsh prison world, without physical violence, but with constant pressure: “
There are cameras everywhere
,” he writes, “
and the slightest deviation gives rise to a report.
"
In this first message sent through his lawyers, Alexeï Navalny, however, wants to be as reassuring as possible.
“
At night, I am woken up every hour to take a picture of me
,” he wrote.
I go back to sleep thinking that there are people who do not forget me and I find that great,
”concludes the opponent in a tone that wants to be ironic.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Алексей Навальный (@navalny)
The penal colony where Alexeï Navalny is located is reputed to be one of the toughest in the country.
According to former detainees, prisoners are subjected to particularly strict isolation and are completely cut off from the outside world.
A treatment intended to "
break
" them psychologically, according to the NGOs which denounce the abuses of this prison system.
►
To read also
:
Three days in the life of Alexeï Navalny
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