Human rights defender Igor Nagavkin subjected to pressure in SIZO, his advocate claims

Human rights defender Igor Nagavkin from the Volgograd Region has recently been twice placed in a punishment cell in a SIZO (pre-trial prison), where he serves his sentence in a theft case. SIZO staff could plan the incident and accuse Igor Nagavkin of violating the SIZO regime, his advocate believes.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on April 18, a court found Igor Nagavkin guilty of stealing jewellery and sentenced him to six years of imprisonment.

In total, Igor Nagavkin spent 30 days in the punishment cell, the “OVD-Info”* reports. According to the advocate’s story, his client was placed to the punishment cell for the first time because of having conversations with his cell mates at night. After that, according to the SIZO staff, Igor Nagavkin “destroyed” the cell. The defender believes that the SIZO staff could plan a conflict between Igor Nagavkin and another prisoner, the “Sota” Telegram channel reports.

Let us remind you that in 2016, Igor Nagavkin, an expert of the Russian movement “For Human Rights” in the Southern Federal District (SFD), was arrested in connection with a case on theft of jewellery from a pawnshop. In November 2018, Igor Nagavkin was released and continued his human rights activities, but the criminal case was not closed. In March 2021, after checking the activist’s complaints, the prosecutor’s office returned the case for further investigation because of the violations found. In June 2021, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) recognized Igor Nagavkin’s arrest and his prolonged detention unlawful.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.