Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny possibly poisoned, in ‘critical’ situation: Spokespeople

Russian opposition leader and President Vladimir Putin critic, Alexei Navalny who is currently in prison, is in failing health and “critical” condition over suspected poisoning, a close ally told the United Kingdom-based newspaper The Guardian, on Friday (April 14). This comes after a spokeswoman for Navalny told the Associated Press that the 46-year-old fell sick last week when he was let out of the punishment cell and put in a conventional cell.

Navalny in ‘critical’ situation

Ruslan Shaveddinov, an ally of the Russian opposition leader, in a telephonic interview with Guardian, said, “His situation is critical, we are all very concerned.” This comes after he told the media outlet that Navalny had been grappling with severe stomach pain and an ambulance was called last week to the maximum security IK-6 penal colony at Melekhovo where he is currently imprisoned.

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“We understand that the situation must have been very bad if an ambulance was called,” said Shaveddinov, adding that the prison authorities refused to have Navalny admitted to the hospital and there has been no update on his health since the ambulance arrived, as per the British daily newspaper. He also spoke about how “the prison authorities are doing everything possible to isolate him”.

What happened before he was taken to the hospital?

In a separate interview, Anna Veduta, a Washington-based vice president of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, toldAP,that the 46-year-old fell ill when he was released from the punishment cell. Veduta also claimed that he had lost around 18 pounds (eight kilograms) over the past 15 days.

She added, “We believe he is slowly being administered low doses of poison” in pills he is given without identification, as per AP. This also came after Navalny had taken to Twitter, on Monday and said that he is being put back in solitary confinementfor 15 days and forced to endure “extremely hellish” conditions. The ambulance arrived early Saturday because of acute stomach pains.However, Navalny received no diagnosis, said his lawyer, Vadim Kobzev, on Twitter after visiting him in the prison.

“He doesn’t eat anything because he is prohibited from receiving parcels with food or to buy food in the prison store and the food that is provided by the prison to him actually worsens his stomach pain,” Kira Yarmysh, his spokeswoman, told Reuters, on Thursday.

Navalny is currently serving combined sentences of 11 and a half years, for fraud and contempt of court, charges he has previously said were trumped up to silence him.

(With inputs from agencies)

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