Moscow: We will not let Navalny die in prison
Russian Ambassador to Britain Andrei Killin told the BBC today, Sunday, that the imprisoned and hunger striker Alexei Navalny "will not die in prison," in light of the anti-Moscow campaign in the West.
The 44-year-old opposition went on hunger strike on March 31 to protest his poor detention conditions, accusing the prison administration of preventing him from accessing a doctor and medicine after suffering a double herniated disc, according to his lawyer.
"Of course, he will not be left to die in prison, but I can say that Navalny is acting in a brutal manner," Ambassador André Kellen added.
He continued, "His general goal in all of this is to attract attention to him by saying that he suffers from pain in his left hand. Tomorrow in his leg."
"If he acts normally, he will have a chance to be released at an early date," Killin told BBC News.
For its part, the United States warned Russia that there would be consequences "if Navalny dies, after his aides said that his health was deteriorating sharply."
According to Bloomberg News, US National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan said on CNN's "State of the Union" program, "Today's American TV that we have communicated with the Russian government ... they will be held accountable by the international community."
"We are studying a number of different sanctions to be imposed," Sullivan said, and I will not send a cable to announce this at this stage.
But we contacted that there would be consequences if Navalny passed away.
The European Union has expressed grave concern over reports that Navalny's health is deteriorating in prison and has called for his immediate and unconditional release.
European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said in a statement that the matter is on the agenda of a hypothetical conference of European Union foreign ministers to be held tomorrow, Monday.
The EU foreign ministers are discussing the Navalny case, according to what the German foreign minister announced today.
Heiko Maas told the German newspaper Bild, at their meeting tomorrow (Monday) in Brussels, that the European Union foreign ministers will discuss the Navalny case.
Earlier, his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said that the European Union was closely monitoring Navalny's file, warning of the possibility of further sanctions being imposed on Russia.
"We have already taken measures, adding the sanctions package is big, but there could be other sanctions," the French minister said.
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