US Warns Russia Of Consequences If Kremlin-Critic Navalny Dies
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – The United States had warned Russia of “consequences” if jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny dies amid mounting concerns about his health.
The dissident who already survived an alleged assassination attempt entered the third week of a hunger strike.
Navalny’s supporters organize protests across Russia on April 21 to coincide with President Vladimir Putin’s state-of-the-nation address.
Putin’s most outspoken critic has been imprisoned since March 11 at the notorious IK-2 prison camp about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Moscow.
Besides the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union have also expressed their concern over his treatment.
Navalny’s doctors fear he “will die within the next few days” if not given urgent medical attention for acute back pain and leg numbness.
Russia’s ambassador to Britain reportedly said that Navalny is attention-seeking and “will not be allowed to die in prison.”
Navalny, 44, was jailed in February for old embezzlement charges, which he and friends say are politically motivated.
He was detained after returning from Germany to recover from a near-fatal chemical poisoning in Siberia. Navalny and Western governments blamed the Kremlin, saying it was part of Moscow’s attempts to silence Russia’s most prominent opposition leader and corruption investigator.
Russian authorities deny any involvement in the poisoning scandal.
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