Navalny already seen by four doctors & not at serious risk, Russian human rights chief says as activist’s allies protest jailing

Russia’s human rights commissioner has announced that imprisoned opposition activist Alexey Navalny is receiving medical care during his hunger strike behind bars, and there are no serious concerns over his treatment at present.

Tatyana Moskalkova told journalists on Wednesday that, the day before, Navalny “was visited by civilian doctors, four doctors who examined his state of health.”

According to her, the medics concluded that they could continue to administer support to the anti-corruption campaigner, who began to refuse food on March 31. He linked the decision to demands to see his personal doctors, complaining of back and leg pain, and accused the prison service of subjecting him to “sleep deprivation” techniques. There is no clear mechanism in Russia for inmates to choose their own doctors.

Moskalkova said that the clinicians are giving Navalny, “voluntarily and with his consent, medical drips consisting of nutritional fluids.” The official added that “according to the information I am receiving, he is receiving all the care that he needs according to the doctors’ opinion.” “So far, I have found no serious concerns in this analysis on the part of the authorities,” she concluded.

Navalny was moved on Monday to a specialist hospital for convicted prisoners. A group of medics linked to his campaign group, the Anti-Corruption Fund, which is listed by the Russian Ministry of Justice as a foreign agent, claimed that the activist’s most recent lab results were “negative” and could lead to organ failure. However, in an Instagram post earlier this week, Navalny claimed he was not in a grave state, and said that hunger was not a serious problem compared to poisoning by Novichok. He and his allies claim he was targeted with the nerve agent last year in what they describe as a state-sponsored assassination attempt.

A small number of protesters have begun taking to the streets in cities across Russia, beginning in the Far East of the country earlier on Wednesday. The demonstrations have been organized in Navalny’s support, and those behind them have been calling for his release from prison. Two of the opposition figure’s closest allies, Lubov Sobol and Kira Yarmysh, were detained on Wednesday morning ahead of the anticipated gatherings, which breach the terms of Russia’s pandemic laws.

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