Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Doctors Implore Putin to ‘Stop Abusing’ Navalny in Open Letter

Alexei Navalny. Sergei Karpukhin / TASS

Dozens of Russian doctors signed an open letter on Tuesday urging Russian President Vladimir Putin "to stop abusing" jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was returned to solitary confinement on New Year’s Eve for the 10th time since his nine-year jail sentence began last year.

“We cannot and do not have the right to look calmly at the deliberate infliction of harm to the health of politician Alexei Navalny,” the letter, published by the independent Meduza news website, said.

At least 100 doctors have signed the petition so far, which demands the opposition politician be given a “full examination” and access to proper medical treatment.

Navalny said on Monday that he had been sent back to solitary confinement for the 10th time since his sentence began on New Year's Eve — this time for washing his face half an hour earlier than he was supposed to. The politician also added that he was deliberately put in a cell with a prisoner with poor hygiene and severe flu symptoms.

Navalny is currently experiencing fever, chills, and a cough, according to his lawyer Vadim Kobzev.

“From a medical point of view, it is obvious that Alexei does not receive sufficient medical assistance, and keeping him in solitary confinement is absolutely contraindicated in his condition,” the open letter said.

Navalny has now spent a total of four months in solitary confinement, developing severe back problems as a result of the harsh conditions.  

The Kremlin critic, who built a huge social media operation producing videos exposing corruption among government officials, was sentenced to nine years in prison in March 2022.

Navalny was arrested last year when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning attempt that he says was ordered by Putin, something the Kremlin has denied.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

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 every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more