Support The Moscow Times!

Siberian Prisoner Sews Mouth Shut in Protest Against Case

Alexander Podoinitsyn was arrested for the possession and manufacture of drugs, Russian media reported. Pixabay

A man being kept in detention in Siberia while awaiting trial has sewn his mouth shut and declared a hunger strike in protest against his detention, a local news website reported Tuesday.

In a video posted to YouTube on Sunday, Alexander Podoinitsyn says he has been held at pretrial detention center No.1 in the eastern Siberian city of Chita since March 2014 in connection with a case that the inmate says was fabricated against him. He was arrested for the possession and manufacture of drugs, Russian media reported.

On Tuesday, the FlashSiberia news agency published a photo of Podoinitsyn with his lips sewn together. He has now been transferred to a separate cell where he is being monitored over CCTV, the report said, citing prison service officials.

Dramatic instances of self-harm as a form of protest are not uncommon in Russia. Artist Pyotr Pavlensky has frequently shocked Russian audiences with his gory protest stunts. He famously nailed his scrotum to the cobblestones of Red Square in 2013 in protest at what he said was Russia's descent into a police state.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more