Russian government critic Vladimir Kara-Mursa has been transferred to a cell in a Siberian penal colony for six months with harsher prison conditions, his former attorney said on Wednesday.
The formal reason for the punishment was that he had taken his hands off his back for a few seconds to put his cap down where he was supposed to, Vadim Prokhorov, who represented Kara-Mursa for many years, wrote on Facebook.
Prokhorov, who has since fled Russia, remains in contact with Kara-Mursa.
On Tuesday, Ilya Yashin, a close associate of late opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who died in custody, was given the same sentence.
Transfer to such punishment cells is a frequently used form of harassment by the prison administration, especially for political prisoners.
The conditions there are particularly harsh. The cell is very cramped, the use of beds after wake-up is forbidden and the daily walk in the yard is restricted.
In addition, only a brief meeting with relatives is allowed every six months - and even this only with the permission of the administration.
Kara-Mursa was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April 2023 on charges of high treason.
He is internationally recognised as a political prisoner. He has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine for years.
The 42-year-old's health has been seriously affected by several poison attacks.