Jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny gets 12 days in solitary confinement for swearing

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny revealed that he was transferred to a solitary confinement cell for 12 days for swearing.

Writing about his experience on Twitter, Mr Navalny said he was released from the punishment cell on Monday only to be locked up again a day later.

“My latest break from the punishment cell didn’t last long - exactly one day. I was released on Monday, and then locked up again yesterday. This time I got 12 days for “using the word ‘f***’ (sorry) in a conversation with a cellmate,” he wrote.

According to Mr Navalny, this is the ninth time that he has been in a punishment cell at the Russian penal colony in the past six months.

The Russian opposition leader called the detention “lawless”, writing: “This detention is not the most lawless in the sense that they are all lawless, but it is certainly the most cynical. Picture this: a commission of 10 burly cops, each of whom not just use foul language, but basically talk in it.”

He wrote about the exchange, quoting the prison guards in his post on Twitter:

“Convict Navalny, aren’t you ashamed of yourself for using such a vulgar word? And it’s not the first time, it’s systematic behaviour.”

“In view of the gravity of the offence, I propose placing him in a punishment cell. Convict Navalny, for your violation you will be placed in a punishment cell for 12 days.”

This isn’t the first time that Mr Navalny has been sent to a punishment cell in recent months, in November he was transferred to a one-man cell, in solitary confinement, where he was held for 15 days, according to the post on his Instagram account.