Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader in Russia who has been jailed, appeared in a public video call with a court on Wednesday. This was his first appearance since he ended his hunger strike. During the call, Navalny displayed sarcasm and defiance towards the judge and officials present at the Kovrov City Court. He was challenging his detention in a punishment cell.
«Your Honor, a tear runs down my cheek — I’m so happy to see you all. My beloved Kovrov court, my dear prosecutors, my dear lawyers and my dear secretary — I’m very happy to see you,» Navalny said, according to Mediazona.
The court was hearing an appeal by Navalny against his placement in a cell for violating prison rules. During a recess, Navalny joked with Ilya Kruglyshyov, a representative of the prison service in the Vladimir region. He asked Kruglyshyov if he had attended a «naked party» like a Russian celebrity. Kruglyshyov responded with a similar quip, and the courtroom burst into laughter, as reported by SOTAvision.
Navalny also commented on the conditions in the penal colony in Kharp, where he is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence. He expressed his dissatisfaction by saying, «Pah-pah. A pebble in your garden, dear prosecutors. It’s better here than in IK-6 in Vladimir,» referring to another prison where he was previously held.
