He said he was forced to watch state TV 8 hours a day

Russian dissident Navalny gives his first press interview from prison

Navalny criticized America and European governments.

Reuters

Imprisoned Russian dissident Alexei Navalny gave his first press interview from his prison, comparing it to a Chinese labor camp, saying he was forced to watch Russian state television for eight hours a day.

Navalny, who built his political career working on fighting corruption and exposing it in Russia, is serving a sentence in a maximum security prison in Pokrov, 100 kilometers east of Moscow.

The Russian dissident told the American newspaper "The New York Times" that the days of hard labor in the Soviet camps are over, and they have been replaced by what he described as "psychological violence" through brainwashing and propaganda.

And the newspaper quoted him, in the interview published on Wednesday, as saying about the prison: “You might imagine men with muscular muscles, tattoos, and iron teeth, fighting with daggers to get the best bed by the window.”

“But you have to imagine something like a Chinese labor camp, where everyone walks in line and surveillance cameras are hanging everywhere.

There is constant control and a culture of slander.”

He confirmed that the guards monitored them, watching hours of government propaganda, and did not allow them to read or even write.

Nevertheless, Navalny remained optimistic about the future fate of Vladimir Putin's regime, stressing that it will end one day.

"Sooner or later, this mistake will be corrected, and Russia will move forward to a democratic and European path of development, simply because this is what the people want," he said.

He also repeated his criticism of the United States and European governments for imposing sanctions on Russia, as these sanctions harm the Russian people, not those in power.

He pointed out that he was not attacked by any of the prisoners, but rather he "enjoyed" preparing snacks with them.

Since his imprisonment in March, Navalny has not kept silent, as he sent a message from prison and used social media to spread his news, but the interview with the "New York Times" is his first since his imprisonment.

This month, new charges were brought against Navalny that could extend his prison term by three years if convicted, and he will not be able to be released until after 2024, when presidential elections are scheduled in Russia.

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