Russian court jails Navalny supporters for prison rally

A district court in the Vladimir Region has sentenced four of Alexey Navalny’s supporters to administrative arrest for their involvement in a protest rally outside of the penal colony where he is being held on Tuesday, April 6.

According to the rights group “Apologia Protesta,” Alexander Generalov, the head of legal for the medical workers’ union “Alyans Vrachey” (Doctors’ Alliance), was jailed for eight days, along with Artem Boriskin, who leads the union’s Perm branch, and his deputy Valeria Merkulova. Navalny supporter Ksenia Pakhomova was jailed for nine days.

All four were found guilty of violating the established order for conducting a rally in a public place (they were charged under article 20.2.2, section 3 of the Administrative Code). Apologia Protesta’s lawyers intend to appeal the rulings.

Navalny supporter Kristina Johnson-Ramires, who was detained outside of the prison on April 7, was also sentenced to ten days in jail on the same charges.

Alexey Navalny, who is serving a 2.5 year prison sentence, announced a hunger strike on March 31, demanding access to adequate medical treatment. Navalny has complained about pain in his back and numbness in his legs for the past few weeks. 

On April 6, a demonstration calling for adequate medical treatment for Navalny took place outside of Penal Colony No. 2 in Pokrov (Vladimir region). Police officers arrested nine people at the rally, including a CNN news crew and Navalny’s personal physician, Anastasia Vasilieva — the director of the Doctors’ Alliance. 

The Federal Penitentiary Service maintains that Navalny is being provided with all necessary medical care. On April 5, Navalny was moved to the prison’s sick ward after developing a fever and a cough. According to his lawyers, prison doctors have diagnosed him with two herniated discs.