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Moscow (dpa) - Shortly before the planned mass protests, the Russian police took action in several cities against supporters of the imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny.
Employees of his anti-corruption foundation in the Siberian city of Kurgan published a video on social networks showing the arrest of their coordinator Alexej Schwarz.
Navalny's supporters also reported arrests in St. Petersburg, Volgograd and Tver.
The opposition politician himself thanked him on Instagram for expressions of solidarity that reached him from Russia and around the world.
The 44-year-old opposition member's team spontaneously announced protests in more than 100 Russian cities this Wednesday because his health in the prison camp is said to have deteriorated massively.
Navalny, who barely survived a poison attack last summer, has long been complaining of severe back pain and paralysis in his arms and legs.
Almost three weeks ago he went on a hunger strike to seek treatment from an independent doctor.
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According to his team, Navalny is now in mortal danger due to critical potassium levels. His lawyer complained that although his client was moved to the infirmary in another camp at the weekend, he was only given glucose infusions. Navalny himself wrote that he now looks like a "skeleton". But he could only laugh about his high potassium levels, he explained, looking at the murder attempt on him: "After Novitschok, potassium is no longer bad."
The city of Moscow warned against participating in the unauthorized demonstrations, with reference to corona regulations. The protests are expected to follow President Vladimir Putin's speech to the nation scheduled for the same day. The police in the capital will take "all necessary measures" to ensure public order, it said in a statement. Human rights activists had criticized in the past that Russian authorities used corona requirements as an excuse to restrict freedom of assembly.
Several solidarity rallies for Navalny are also planned in Germany this Wednesday.
The International Society for Human Rights urged Russia to guarantee Navalny's physical integrity.
"Nawalny's life is in danger despite being moved to an infirmary," said Chairman Edgar Lamm.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210420-99-280899 / 2