German chancellor Olaf Scholz hails Alexey Navalny on second anniversary of his poisoning

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday hailed Russia's imprisoned opposition leader and most vocal critic of Vladimir Putin’s regime, Alexey Navalny, on the second anniversary of his poisoning allegedly by the Kremlin. Olaf denounced Russia's clampdown on freedom of speech, stating in a video message that he had got an opportunity to speak with Navalny while he was recovering in hospital in Berlin. The German Chancellor labelled Navalny as a "brave man who wanted to return to Russia to fight for democracy, freedom and the rule of law."   

"The war that Russia started against Ukraine is a war that also has consequences for Russia," Scholz told the state-affiliated press. "Freedom and democracy were already endangered before. But now, freedom of expression is much more endangered and many fear to say their own opinion," he continued to add. 

The 46-year-old activist, Putin's most vocal critic, is now in a maximum-security penal colony. He was arrested in Russia by the FSB after his return from Germany where he was hospitalised for days after being poisoned by Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. Moscow, however, denies any responsibility for the poisoning of Navalny. Navalny is currently serving 11-1/2 years jail time on charges of fraud and contempt of court. 

Harrowing experience in detention centre IK-6 Melekhovo

Navalny had earlier relayed his harrowing experience from the detention centre IK-6 Melekhovo, located about 250 km (155 miles) east of Moscow, where he was recently moved, in a lengthy social media post.  Navalny narrated his ordeal stating that he had been coerced by the Russian Federation's Federal Security Service to listen to "Glory to the FSB" songs and was made to sit under the portrait of Vladimir Putin for several hours. He also elaborated on the difference between his likes and Russia's leader Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian Prime Minister whom Navalny described as "the tyrant's prime minister." 

Russia's opposition leader stated that he is made to start the day at around 6:40 am and around 10:20 am, when Putin has his breakfast, it's his lunchtime. He further added that despite the torture and challenges he confronted in jail, he is an "optimist and looks for the bright side." The jailed Russian opposition leader had also widely condemned Putin’s so-called military operation in Ukraine, asking the Russians to start a mass Civil Disobedience movement against Putin's regime.