Navalny Goes on Hunger Strike to Protest Abysmal Prison Conditions
DESPERATE MEASURES
Alexander Nemenov/Getty
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny—who’s serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence at a notorious prison camp outside of Moscow for allegedly violating the terms of his probation while recovering from a poisoning attempt—said on Wednesday that he’s going on a hunger strike because he’s been denied badly needed medical treatment. “The right to invite a specialist for examination and consultation exists for every convict. Even for me, despite the fact that I’m not guilty," he tweeted. “That’s why I am urging that a doctor be allowed to see me, and until that happens, I am going on a hunger strike.” Navalny reportedly said he’s lost feeling in both of his legs and has been forced to endure sleep deprivation torture. “I’m hungry, but at least I have both legs,” his hunger-strike announcement read.