Russia: imprisoned opponent Navalny, ill, left "without care", according to his lawyer

Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, imprisoned for two years, is sick and left "without care", his lawyer Vadim Kobzev said on Tuesday, denouncing a "very strange" situation

Russia: imprisoned opponent Navalny, ill, left "without care", according to his lawyer

Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, imprisoned for two years, is sick and left "without care", his lawyer Vadim Kobzev said on Tuesday, denouncing a "very strange" situation.

"Overnight from Friday to Saturday an ambulance was called to his cell due to a worsening stomach condition," Mr Kobzev tweeted about his client's condition. .

He said Mr Navalny, 46, was suffering from "an unknown disease for which no one is treating him".

"According to his medical records, in the last fortnight he has lost 8 kg," he added, adding that the packages containing medicines that Mr. Navalny's mother sent to his son "are returned to him" , without being able to receive them.

According to Mr. Kobzev, his client is suffering from "crises" and he said "not to rule out" an attempt by the authorities to let the health of the political opponent "deteriorate, not suddenly, but gradually".

"We will demand toxicological and radiological examinations," he said.

At the start of the year, Alexeï Navalny had claimed to suffer from flu-like symptoms and to be deprived of satisfactory access to care. His supporters denounced an attempt by the Kremlin to "kill" him slowly.

Mr. Navalny, a pet peeve of Vladimir Putin and opponent of the military offensive in Ukraine, was arrested in Russia in January 2021, on his return to the country after suffering serious poisoning which he attributes to the Kremlin.

In March of the same year, he was sentenced to nine years in prison under a "severe" regime for charges of "fraud" which he considers fictitious.

11/04/2023 22:05:34 -          Moscow (AFP) -          © 2023 AFP