Why a smelly prisoner could bring even more trouble to Putin's nemesis Alexei Navalny

Alexei Navalny had to share his cell in a Russian prison with a prisoner who had «problems with personal hygiene.» Photo: AP/Alexander Zemlyanichenko

Aleksey Navalny faces another five years in prison for refusing to share a cell with a smelly prisoner as part of the Kremlin's latest «provocation».

Moscow has opened a new criminal case against Russia's top opposition politician, who is already serving a nine-year prison sentence, Kira Yarmysh, his spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

1/6 A new criminal case has been initiated against Alexei @navalny, who is in prison on the fact of the very «provocation», his lawyer wrote about a week ago. All details in this thread. Please share it.

— Kira Yarmysh (@Kira_Yarmysh) April 18, 2023

Ms Yarmysh said this is the 10th case against a Kremlin critic who already faces up to 35 years in prison.

In the latter case, Mrs. n Navalny is accused of «disorganizing the activities of penitentiary institutions», for which he faces another five years in prison.

Yarmysh said the administration staged a «provocation» against Mr. Navalny by placing a prisoner «with personal hygiene problems» in his cell.

The smell was so strong that Mr. Navalny «refused to go in» added Ms. Yarmysh.

According to unofficial prison «rules», Ms. Yarmysh said that Mr. Navalny had to use force to kick the prisoner out of his cell.

“He told the guards that he would not do this, because this convict is not guilty, and the administration is using him as a tool,” she said.

After he was “beaten and dragged into a cell,” Mr. Navalny “grabbed [the prisoner] by the scruff of the neck and dragged him to the door,” Ms. Yarmysh said.

The guards then “surrounded Navalny, pressed him against the wall, and the administration of the (correctional) colony reported initiation of a new criminal case.”

5/6 Immediately after that, Navalny was surrounded, pressed against the wall, and the administration of the colony announced that a new criminal case had been initiated against him under the article «Disorganization of the activities of institutions for the execution of sentences.» with a possible term of up to 5 years.

— Kira Yarmysh (@Kira_Yarmysh) April 18, 2023

Navalny was poisoned with the Soviet nerve agent Novichok during a trip to Siberia in 2020.

He received treatment in Germany and returned to Russia in January 2021, where he was arrested while landing at a Moscow airport.

His supporters see the charges as punishment for challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin.