Navalny celebrates his birthday in solitary confinement cell. Russians all over the world rally in his support

Russian politician Alexey Navalny turned 47 today, 4 June. This year, he celebrates it in a solitary confinement cell in a Vladimir region prison. Russians flock to the streets to show support for him. Rallies are expected in at least 120 cities around the world, including Geneva, Prague, Tel Aviv, Paris, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Tokyo, Helsinki, Toronto, Mexico City, Stockholm, and others.

Navalny’s associates also urged people in Russia to join the movement by protesting in any convenient way.

According to OVD-Info, at least 106 people have already been detained across Russia as of 8:23 PM Moscow time.

Russian cities

Reports first emerged that two people had been arrested in Khabarovsk, Russia’s Far East. Zigmund Khudyakov and Tatyana Lukyanova were both released later.

RusNews noted that police officers were checking IDs of other rally participants in the city, warning them that “law violations are unacceptable”.

OVD-Info reports that Artur Sadykov was detained in Krasnoyarsk for writing “Freedom to political prisoners” in chalk on a road. He was later released but called to return to the police station next week. Lawyer Maria Terekhova notes that the man is accused of damaging other people’s property and violating city beautification regulations.

Moreover, Philipp Kravchuk and Olga Merkulova were detained in Barnaul for staging a one-man protest with a poster in support of Navalny and taking a walk with a balloon respectively. Merkulova was later let go with no punishment.

Dmitry Teterin was taken into custody in Yelabuga (Tatarstan) over his participation in a Navalny rally, he is already free.

One-man protests are also held in Novosibirsk. People came out with posters reading “Alexey, come out” and “Happy birthday, Alexey”.

"My Russia is in prison". Photo: Team Navalny

"Happy birthday, Alexey! You are not alone!!! Freedom to Navalny! Putin to The Hague! No to war!". Photo: Team Navalny

A man with a poster reading “Freedom and a kangaroo, Putin is a spider” was detained in Moscow’s Red Square, OVD-Info reports. Navalny recently mocked the prison administration by demanding a kangaroo.

According to Ostorozhno Moscow, a man who had scattered leaflets on Pushkin Square, Moscow was taken to a police van. Another man who had come out to the Moscow Musical Theatre with a “Freedom to Navalny” poster was also detained.

Ekaterina Lubyana, who had come out with a balloon, was also detained there. She is expected to be taken to the Tverskoy district police station.

Leaflets with “Happy birthday, Alexey. Keep holding on!” were also glued to lampposts in Irkutsk.

Around 20 people were taken into custody in Moscow’s Pushkin Square, Ostorozhno Media reports.

Moreover, people were detained in several other locations across Moscow.

The police actions and detentions became harsher in the evening.

Five people were detained near Gostiny Dvor in St. Petersburg, SOTA reports. A woman and her underage daughter are among them. RusNews reports that two people who were walking with blue and yellow balloons were detained nearby along with another St. Petersburg resident.

In the centre of St. Petersburg, Palace Square, at least two people were detained, Bumaga and Sever.Realii report. Alexey Kucherenko was detained in St. Petersburg’s Field of Mars for staging a one-man protest, OVD-Info reports. Moreover, a Fontanka reporter had been stopped for a check but later released, Avtozak LIVE notes.

As of 6:20 PM local time, 12 people in total were detained in St. Petersburg.

OVD-Info reported at 6:20 PM local time that at least 53 people had been detained in Moscow. Overall, 90 people across Russia are known to have been taken into custody.

Showing open support for Navalny and his organisations in Russia right now is fraught with serious consequences for people. “In any case, OVD-Info is planning to help those detained by offering legal assistance,” lawyer Eva Levenberg said.

Rallies around the world

People have come out to rally in support of Navalny in Australia, Japan, and Georgia. A rally in Tbilisi is held in front of the Swiss embassy’s sections that represents Russian interests in Georgia (as the two countries have severed their diplomatic ties). “Freedom to political prisoners, freedom to Navalny,” the protesters are chanting.

The EU mission to Russia also congratulated Navalny.

“Your third birthday in prison since your brave return to Russia; under constant and unjustified disciplinary measures by the Russian authorities; under threat of life imprisonment on even more fabricated charges. The EU once again calls on Russia for your immediate and unconditional release,” the mission's statement reads.

Politician Ilya Yashin has sent congratulations to Navalny on the occasion from prison. Yashin himself is serving a 8.5-year prison sentence for “disseminating fakes about the Russian army”.

“I don’t know when you’ll be able to read it, if at all. I want to say that you are very strong and I am proud to be your friend. Every time sadness creeps up on me in prison, I remember the way you are staying strong in your torturous conditions and what will you are showing. Then, in my mind I stand shoulder to shoulder with you and my sadness goes away completely. I am convinced that we will win,” Yashin wrote.

Navalny himself shared a post on the occasion of his birthday. He sent out “the biggest thank you and biggest salute” to political prisoners in Russia, Belarus, and other countries.

“I haven’t accomplished much, and this was best summed up the other day by the psychologist at our penal colony. The procedure requires that before you are sent to the SHIZO [solitary confinement cell], you must be examined by a medical officer (to check whether you will bear it) and a psychologist (to make sure you don’t hang yourself). Well, after our meeting the psychologist said: ‘This is the 16th time we’ve put you in the SHIZO, but you keep cracking jokes, and your mood is much better than that of the committee members.’ That’s actually true, but on the morning of your birthday you have to be honest with yourself, so I ask myself the question: am I really in a good mood, or do I force myself to feel that way?” “My answer is: I really am. Let’s face it, of course I wish I didn’t have to wake up in this hellhole and instead have breakfast with my family, receive kisses on the cheek from my children, unwrap presents, and say: ‘Wow, this is exactly what I dreamed of!’ But life works in such a way that social progress and a better future can only be achieved if a certain number of people are willing to pay the price for their right to have beliefs. The more such people there are, the less everyone has to pay. And surely the day will come when speaking the truth and advocating for justice will become something commonplace and not at all dangerous in Russia.” “But until that day comes, I do not see my situation as a heavy burden or a yoke, but rather as a job that needs to be done. Every job has its unpleasant parts, right? So I’m going through the unpleasant part of my favourite job right now.” “My plan for the previous year was not to grow brutal and bitter and lose my laid-back demeanour — that would mean the beginning of my defeat. And all my success in this was only possible because of your support.”