MOSCOW: Russia’s penitentiary service on Monday said it was transferring ailing Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to prison hospital, as the EU warned it would hold Moscow “responsible” for the state of his health.
The United States on Sunday threatened Russia with “consequences” if President Vladimir Putin’s major domestic opponent — who launched a hunger strike three weeks ago — dies in jail, with Navalny’s private doctors warning at the weekend he could pass away at “any minute”.
Russia’s prison authorities, which have barred Navalny’s own medical team from visiting him, said its doctors had decided to move him to a medical facility on the premises of another penal colony outside Moscow.
But the authorities insisted the anti-corruption campaigner’s condition was “satisfactory”, and said he was taking vitamin supplements as part of medical treatment.
Fears over Navalny’s fate have added more fuel to soaring tensions between Moscow and the West over a build-up of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine and a spiralling diplomatic row with EU member state the Czech Republic.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc held the Russian authorities “responsible for the health situation of Mr Navalny” as foreign ministers from its 27 nations held virtual talks.
Borrell called Navalny’s condition “very worrisome” and repeated demands that Moscow allows his chosen team of doctors to inspect him.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis pushed further, saying the bloc should prepare “a humanitarian mission” to fly him out of Russia for treatment.
“If the international community does not respond, the regime’s opposition leader will be sent silently to his death,” Landsbergis said.
The Kremlin dismissed the outcry from foreign leaders over Navalny’s condition.
“The health of convicts in the Russia Federation cannot and should not be a topic concerning them,” said Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov. — AFP
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