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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Dasha Litvinova

Inside the penal colonies: A glimpse at life for political prisoners swept up in Russia's crackdowns

Moscow City Court

When Alexei Navalny turns 47 on Sunday, he'll wake up in a bare concrete cell with hardly any natural light.

He won't be able to see or talk to any of his loved ones. Phone calls and visits are banned for those in “punishment isolation” cells, a 2-by-3-meter (6 1/2-by-10-foot) space. Guards usually blast patriotic songs and speeches by President Vladimir Putin at him.

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