Kremlin officials risk Vladimir Putin's wrath by criticising the brutal ... trends now
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Vladimir Putin has faced internal dissent over the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny after dozens of local politicians called for the prisoner to be treated humanely.
In a rare act of rebellion in the autocratic state, current and former municipal deputies and lawmakers signed an open letter to the dictator.
They urged Putin to remove Navalny, 46, from his 'punishment cell' and give him proper medical care as his health deteriorates in the brutal conditions.
The cells are said to be 2.5m by 3m 'concrete shoeboxes', which are appalling to stay in due to being so cold and damp. The letter read: 'It is very clear to everyone who follows Alexei's life – the purpose of his continuous incarceration in a punishment cell is to create unbearable conditions for him in the penal colony and to cause harm to his physical and mental health, as well as to create a threat to his life.' It was signed by Russian deputies and members of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament.
Alexei Navalny, 46, urged Russians to continue to fight the Kremlin from his cell
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