According to reports from AP and The Hill, imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is suing prison officials to obtain access to volumes of the Quran with commentary that he purchased. AP says in part:
Navalny has faced criticism over the years for using nationalist rhetoric regarding migrants, many of whom arrive in Russia from predominantly Muslim nations in Central Asia.
He said Tuesday he had realized his “development as a Christian requires studying the Quran,” adding that he decided to become “the Quran champion among Russian non-Muslim politicians.”
Prison authorities say that they must screen all books for extremism before making them available to prisoners, and that this will take three months. Navalny is in the midst of a hunger strike and prison officials are threatening to force feed him.
