(Al Jazeera) – Alexey Navalny has been imprisoned in Russia since returning following an alleged poisoning attack last year.
European Union members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have called on Russia to grant medical care to jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny “as soon as possible”, according to the foreign ministers of the three countries.
“Disturbing reports on Navalny health condition. Access to health care is a basic right even of political prisoners,” the ministers posted on Twitter on Thursday. “We call on international community and [EU leaders] to speak up too.”
Their calls came after Navalny’s allies said they wanted proof that he was healthy after his lawyers were denied access to him.
Leonid Volkov, a close Navalny ally based in Lithuania, has said Navalny began to experience serious back pain last week, felt a numbness in his leg and has been unable to stand on it.
He was given two ibuprofen pills for the pain, Volkov said.
The Federal Penitentiary Service said earlier on Thursday that the 44-year-old opposition politician’s health was stable and satisfactory.
