US warns of Russian consequences if Navalny dies in prison

WASHINGTON – Government United States of America (US) warned Russia about the consequences if Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny dies in prison. The Moscow opposition figure is on a hunger strike at the prison in protest.

Navalny’s team also called for mass protests across Russia to help save his life.

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Earlier, doctor Navalny said President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic could die “at any time”.

US President’s national security adviser Joe Biden said Washington had warned the Kremlin that it would be held to account by the international community if Navalny died.

France, Germany and the European Union on Sunday joined a growing international chorus of protest over Navalny’s plight. The foreign ministers of European Union countries will discuss the situation on Monday (19/4/2021).

Concerns over Navalny’s health have escalated as tensions between Moscow and the West escalate over a number of issues, including the deployment of Russian troops across the Ukrainian border, meddling in US elections and other hostile activity.

Navalny’s team on Sunday called for massive protests across Russia on Wednesday evening, just hours after Putin was due to deliver his state address.

“It is time to act. We are talking about not only Navalny’s freedom but also his life,” Navalny’s right-hand man, Leonid Volkov, said on Facebook.

Volkov said Wednesday’s massive demonstration could be a decisive battle against what he called “absolute evil.”

“We find ourselves in an extreme, very urgent situation,” he said. “Extreme times require extreme measures,” he was quoted as saying Moscow Times.

There has been no immediate reaction from the Kremlin, but the Russian ambassador in London, Andrei Kelin, said Navalny would not be allowed to die in prison.

“But I can say that Navalny, he behaved like a criminal,” said Kelin BBC.

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