SHIZO, the punishment isolation cell, is the most severe form of legal punishment for inmates in Russian prisons. A concrete sack devoid of sunlight and fresh air, it cloaks prisoners in a regime of stringent prohibitions. Multiple stints in solitary confinement are internationally recognized as torture. In Russia, more and more political prisoners find themselves subjected to this treatment.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, currently serving a 9-year sentence in the Vladimir region, has endured the harsh conditions of SHIZO for 180 days as of this story’s publication, with his exact six-month mark approaching on June 6th. In addition, the prison’s administration goes to great lengths to make these already harsh conditions virtually intolerable.

To shed light on this form of torment, Mediazona has compiled a comprehensive guide covering all of Navalny’s SHIZO terms, which will be periodically updated.

https://en.zona.media/article/2023/06/02/shizo