Navalny's daughter: 'Allow a doctor to see my dad'
Alexei Navalny’s daughter, Dasha, has pleaded with Russian authorities to allow a doctor to treat her father, who is on hunger strike in prison, after a group of medical professionals warned that he is in critical condition and at risk of kidney failure.
The Stanford university student tweeted on Sunday: “Allow a doctor to see my dad."
She joins a chorus of international public figures and Russian opposition regional lawmakers, who are calling on Vladimir Putin to make sure the Kremlin critic is properly treated.
On Sunday, Navalny allies announced a street protest to be held on Wednesday, the same day Putin is to give an annual state-of-the-nation speech to the political elite.
Navalny started refusing food in protest on March 31, after accusing prison authorities of refusing to properly treat acute back and leg pain.
Authorities say Navalny was offered medical care but refused it, insisting on being treated by a doctor of his choice from outside the facility. The request was denied.
A medical trade union with ties to Navalny warned on Saturday that his kidneys could soon fail, which could lead to cardiac arrest.
In a television interview with the BBC, Russia's ambassador to Britain accused Navalny of attention-seeking, adding, quote: “He will not be allowed to die in prison.”
U.S. President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN on Sunday "there will be consequences" if he does.
