A woman protests in support of Alexei Navalny with a sign reading “one for all and all for one”, in Moscow on January 23, 2021. – Mihail Tokmakov / SOPA Images
Faced with the international outcry over Alexei Navalny’s state of health, Russia is trying to reassure its intentions. Moscow will not let the opponent “die in prison”, assured the Russian ambassador to London in an interview with the BBC on Sunday.
On the British public channel, Ambassador Andreï Kéline, however, blames the current state of the situation on the main critic of the Kremlin. “Of course we won’t let him die in jail, but I can tell Mr. Navalny is behaving like a hooligan […] by trying to break every rule that has been established, ”he said.
The ambassador accused the opponent of “wanting to attract attention” by complaining “today that he suffers from the left hand”, “tomorrow in the left leg”. “If he behaves normally, he will have a chance to be released earlier,” continued Andreï Kéline. Doctors close to the opponent, however, said they feared Saturday that he would go into cardiac arrest “from one minute to the next.”
Washington warned on Sunday that there would be “consequences” for Russia if Alexei Navalny died, while EU foreign ministers are due to meet on Monday on the issue. Allies of the 44-year-old opponent, sick and on hunger strike, called on the Russians to demonstrate on April 21 to “save his life” on Sunday.