Navalny To Spend Coronavirus Quarantine At Moscow Prison - Public Monitoring Commission

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2021) Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny detained at a Moscow airport upon his arrival from Germany will spend the mandatory 14-day coronavirus quarantine alone in a three-bed cell at the Matrosskaya Tishina prison, Executive Secretary of the Public Monitoring Commission of Moscow said.

"Alexey Navalny arrived today at the federal pre-trial detention center 'Matrosskaya Tishina' shortly after 8 p. m. [17:00 GMT on Monday] ... Navalny has been placed in a three-bed cell of the quarantine department, where he is being kept alone since upon arrival from abroad he is required to self-isolate for 14 days," Alexey Melnikov wrote on Telegram.

According to the executive secretary, Navalny has already taken a shower and has been provided with bedding, dishes, and a hygiene kit. He has hot water, a fridge and a tv set in his cell and is allowed to order food, either by himself or through relatives.

Melnikov said that Navalny has not reported any moral or physical pressure from the prison staff.

On Sunday, Navalny landed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport where he was detained. Prior to Navalny's return to Russia from Germany, where he was treated for his alleged poisoning, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service warned it would arrest him for probation violations as he was previously found guilty of committing two administrative offenses.

On Monday, a court in Russia ruled to keep Navalny in detention for 30 days. On January 29, a Moscow court is expected to decide whether Navalny's suspended sentence should be replaced with prison time for breach of suspension conditions.

The US State Department, European Council President Charles Michel, as well as an array of western foreign ministries and ministers have called on the Russian authorities to release Navalny.

Commenting on the West's reaction, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called it an attempt to shift attention from the crisis of the liberal model of development. According to the diplomat, his Western counterparts are visibly "happy" to churn out nearly identical statements.

In relation to various comments on Navalny's detention, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has advised foreign officials to respect international law and focus on domestic issues.