Russian opponent Alexei Navalny raises hunger strike in prison

The leader of the Russian opposition, Alexei Navalny, who is in a delicate state of health, announced that abandons the hunger strike he led for 24 days in prison to demand that you be seen by your trusted doctors.

“In view of the progress made and all the circumstances, I am starting to give up the hunger strike. Usually it’s going to take me another 24 days and they say it’s even harder, ”Navalny said on his Instagram social media account.

The Leader of the Opposition asserted that with the “tremendous support from good people across the country and around the world“, he has been examined twice by external doctors, the last time just before the massive march his team called for support on Wednesday in more than 100 Russian cities.

Thanks to international and national pressure, Navalny was taken to a civilian hospital on Tuesday in the Vladimir region, about 200 kilometers from Moscow.

Previously, the authorities had only agreed to admit him to a prison hospital near the prison where he is serving a two and a half year sentence for a former criminal case to receive serum and vitamin therapy.

After the medical examination, all reports and results were handed over to the regular doctors in Navalny through their lawyers and family members so that they could give an opinion.

Following his own analysis, five of his doctors on Thursday issued a direct appeal to the opposition leader urging him to end the hunger strike immediately., because if not “soon we will have no one to heal“.

Navalni said in his Instagram post that he trusted his regular doctors and therefore the hunger strike would end.

In their statement, posted on the Mediazona website, the doctors wrote that they would extend the hunger strike “can cause notable damage to Navalny’s health and lead to the saddest outcome – death“.

“Taking into account the symptoms of renal failure, severe neurological symptoms, severe hyponatremia, which may lead to diffuse cerebral edema, more serious neurological disorders in the form of epileptic syndrome and depression of consciousness which may lead to coma , We understand that if the hunger strike continues, even for a very short time, we will unfortunately soon have no one to heal.», They indicated.

The Leader of the Opposition further stated that he quits the hunger strike because in solidarity with him several people have started a hunger strike, including representatives of the “Mothers of Beslán”, an organization demanding justice for the terrorist attack on a school in the town of Beslán (2004) which killed more than 300 people, including nearly two hundred children.

“My friends, my heart is full of love and gratitude for you, but I don’t want anyone to experience physical pain because of me.“, he underlined.

Navalny explained that he is not giving up on his request to be seen by the doctor he needs because he is losing sensitivity in his hands and legs and he wants to know what is going on and how to cure his ailments.

(With information from EFE)

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