OREANDA-NEWS. Hundreds of musicians from different countries have signed an appeal to the Russian authorities demanding the release of Alexei Navalny and all political prisoners and to start a dialogue with the so-called non-systemic opposition.

«An open letter from musicians on the eve of the Civil War» was published on Facebook by the initiator of the action, violinist and concertmaster of the New Westphalian Philharmonic in Germany, Misha Nodelman. As of Wednesday, February 10, more than 400 musicians from Russia, the United States, France, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Israel and other countries have already joined it.

«The brutal beatings of peaceful unarmed people, the torturous conditions of detention, and in some cases, the direct torture of detainees and the absolute lack of control of the power apparatus by society — this is the monstrous reality in which Russia now finds itself in the 21st century», the letter says.

«The cold civil war unleashed by the state against the most thinking, educated and caring part of society is passing, if it has not already passed, to it's hot stage. Stop the terror!», — the authors of the appeal urge.

Mass protests in support of Alexei Navalny, who was arrested immediately after returning from Germany to Russia on January 18, were held in many cities of the Russian Federation 23 and 31 January and 2 February, after the condemnation of the opposition. According to «OVD-Info», they were detained more than 11 thousand people. 50 criminal cases have been opened across the country.