Vyazov’s defender files complaint about conditions of his client’s detention in special detention centre

Andrei Vyazov, an activist from Krasnodar, detained at an action in memory of Alexei Navalny* and arrested for 14 days, is being kept in a special detention centre with no yard for walking.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the court arrested activist Andrei Vyazov for 14 days, recognizing the use of a banner from presidential campaign of Alexei Navalny* during a picket as a demonstration of the symbols of a banned organization. The defence filed an appeal against Andrei Vyazov’s arrest.

On February 27, advocate Alexei Avanesyan filed a complaint to a public prosecutor about the conditions of the Andrei Vyazov’s detention in the special detention centre. The advocate notes that there is no walking yard required by law there at all. Those in custody have to suffer without walks in the fresh air, often for quite long periods of detention, like Andrei Vyazov’s.

“Andrei has got severe allergy on his face skin ... Perhaps it is provoked by the nervous situation,” the advocate said.

Advocate Alexei Avanesyan also said that during his solo picket, Andrei Vyazov used a car sticker from the times of the presidential campaign of Alexei Navalny*. The court found Andrei Vyazov guilty of demonstrating symbols of a banned organization. Andrei Vyazov and Alexei Avanesyan filed an appeal, pointing out that the sticker used was not the symbol of any banned organization.

The advocate has emphasized that before the trial, law enforcers persuaded Andrei Vyazov to confess that he was standing with the mentioned sticker. The court’s decision indicated that the defendant allegedly admitted his guilt.

*On January 25, 2022, the “Rosfinmonitoring” (the Russian Federal Service for Financial Monitoring) included Alexei Navalny into the register of extremists and terrorists. He was a founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (known as FBK), an NCO that is included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the register of NCOs performing functions of a foreign agent, recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation. Convicted on probation in a case on fraud. In February 2021, the term was replaced with imprisonment. In a penal colony, Alexei Navalny was charged with fraud and contempt of court and sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment. Furthermore, Alexei Navalny was also sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment in a case on disorganizing the penal colony, extremism, and rehabilitation of Nazism. In April 2023, Alexei Navalny announced that he faced life imprisonment in the case on terrorism. Recognized as a “prisoner of conscience.” The Alexei Navalny’s offices, which previously operated in the Russian regions, are recognized in Russia as extremist organizations and included in the list of prohibited organizations.