translated from Spanish: U.S. warns Russia that there will be “consequences” if Navalni dies in jail

White House National Security adviser Jake Sullivan has warned Russian authorities this Sunday that they will be exposed to “consequences” if opposition leader Alexei Navalni dies during the hunger strike he declared nearly three weeks ago to protest the conditions of his imprisonment.” We have contacted the Russian government and warned them that they will be held accountable to the international community,” Sullivan told CNN.” We are examining a spectrum of responses that we could make, and of course I will not telegraph them in public at this time, but we have let them know that there will be consequences if Mr Navalni dies,” he added. In the same line, the EU High Representative of Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has demanded that the Russian authorities “ensure immediate access by Navalni to medical professionals of his trust” and reiterated the opponent’s request to “immediately and unconditionally release” on the grounds that he is imprisoned on political grounds.” Navalni’s case is not an isolated incident, but confirms a negative pattern and narrowing of space for opposition, civil society and independent voices in the Russian Federation,” Borrell said in his statement, which further denounces Navalni’s “arbitrary” detention, prosecution and conviction.” The EU will address this issue at the next meeting of foreign ministers on Monday, April 19,” navalni’s circle of allies in prison since January has announced Borrell.De the call for further protests for next Wednesday in various cities across the country in the face of the dissident’s precarious state of health. “There are circumstances that force us to act quickly to avoid irreparable harm,” they warn. On Saturday, his advisers reported worsening Navalni’s health and fearing for his life. The director of Navalni’s allied physicians, Anastasia Vasilieva, has published a copy of the results of her blood tests showing what she said were “critical” levels.” This means that there is kidney failure that can lead at any time to a serious alteration of your heart rate,” said Navalni spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh, on twitter, having expressed concern in a Facebook post. “Alexei is dying now. Given his condition, it’s a matter of days,” he said. Navalni was arrested on 18 January on his arrival at Moscow airport for breaching parole after spending months in Germany recovering from poisoning — for which the country’s prominent opponent directly blames the country’s president, Vladimir Putin–, for what has happened in the crackdown on protests in his favor and the arrest of thousands of protesters. The opposition leader went on hunger strike at the end of March to denounce his condition and claim a doctor’s visit. Since then, his allies have warned that his situation has worsened, to the point that he would suffer partial paralysis.

Original source in Spanish