Russia anxiously awaits Navalny’s fate as life hangs in the balance
Tension is building in Russia after jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was transferred to a prison hospital amid concerns that he is dangerously ill following a three-week hunger strike.
Navalny’s transfer came after his doctors warned at the weekend that he was in danger of a heart attack or kidney failure.
The Russian opposition leader’s hunger strike has led to the US warning Moscow of serious repercussions if he dies.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said what happens to Navalny in custody is the responsibility of the Russian government and the world will hold them accountable.
“In the interim, our objective is of course continuing to push for his release and reiterate our view that he must be treated humanely,” Psaki said.
‘Denied access to doctors’
Navalny’s lawyer Alexei Liptser said after visiting him in the hospital that his health was deteriorating, and he had been denied access to his own doctors.
“All the symptoms that he had before, they remain the same. Numbness in the arms and legs, back pain – they are not going away. The situation is only getting worse,” Liptser told Reuters.
Russia’s prison service said Navalny was in a “satisfactory” state and was being given “vitamin therapy” with his consent.
Navalny’s top aides have announced large protests in his support on Wednesday, setting up a potential clash between demonstrators and police.
Merkel ‘very concerned’
German chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed her concerns over Navalny’s health, adding that a Russian troop build up on the Ukrainian border was creating an “alarmingly tense” situation.
“The German government, together with others, is pressing for him to receive adequate medical treatment,” she told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Tuesday.
There are few signs the Kremlin is willing to give in to demands by western leaders for Navalny to be released from custody.
On Sunday, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, accused Navalny of attention-seeking.
“He will not be allowed to die in prison, but I can say that Mr Navalny, he behaves like a hooligan, absolutely,” Kelin told the BBC.