Replica of Alexey Navalny’s solitary confinement cell where he spent more than 100 days officially unveiled in Berlin

The art installation representing a copy of a solitary confinement cell where Russian politician Alexey Navalny has spent more than 100 days while serving his time in prison has been unveiled in Berlin in front of the Russian Embassy, a Novaya Gazeta Europe correspondent reports.

The art object was opened to the public by opposition figure Oleg Navalny and his associate Leonid Volkov. In an opening speech, Volkov said that the replica cell would be moved to other European countries after Germany.

“This solitary confinement cell is a part of the broader #FreeNavalny campaign which our team has been working on for two years. We decided to make it visible and international on the anniversary of the politician’s arrest,” Volkov said.

The concrete cell has very little space: it is approximately 2x3 square metres. There are a bed with a mattress which is attached to the wall with a lever, a basin, and a squat toilet. The window is very small and is covered with thick metal bars.

The opening of the installation was attended by about 100 Berlin residents. Many of them brought posters depicting Navalny and demands to free him as well as blue-white-blue flags, and Ukrainian flags.

On 17 January, Navalny’s team launched a global Free Navalny campaign which is aiming to coordinate efforts of people all over the world to persuade the Russian government to release the politician.

Earlier today, Novaya Gazeta Editor-in-Chief Dmitry Muratov and Filipino journalist, Rappler Editor-in-Chief Maria Ressa, winners of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, have urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to intervene and protect Russian politician Alexey Navalny, the letter is published on Novaya Gazeta’s website.

Alexey Navalny was last placed in a solitary confinement cell for 15 days on 31 December for washing himself outside of schedule. The politician has been practically confined to the cell without any interruptions since mid-August.