Supporters of Kremlin critic Navalny detained outside prison by Russian Police

Russian police detained nine people outside Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s prison on Tuesday as a small group of his supporters came to the building. Authorities turned back a doctor who tried to see him.

A 44-year-old opponent of President Vladimir Putin, Navalny- last week declared a hunger strike in protest at what he said was the rejection of prison authorities to treat him properly for acute back and leg pain.

Some supporters had said that they would protest, till he saw a doctor of his choice and was given proper medicine, at the prison in the town of Pokrov, about 100 km east of Moscow from Tuesday.

The prison informed that his health is satisfactory and that he is getting all the necessary medical care.

Navalny’s wife, Yulia, said she received a letter dated March 17 from authorities at the prison which said that he could be prevented from being admitted to hospital if ill as he does not have his passport with him.

Anastasiya Vasilyeva, a Navalny ally leading a doctors’ trade union, was turned away at the prison although she said she had an appointment with a senior prison official to see Navalny and check on his health.

“All our peaceful actions don’t work,” she said.

Later she and at least six other people were detained by the police, including several supporters and two reporters for CNN, Reuters correspondents said. Police said nine people are under their custody for ignoring public order. Security at the prison had been fastened earlier on Tuesday.

Navalny was sentenced to a jail term of around 2-1/2 years in February after a court charged that he had infringed parole for a fraud conviction in a case he says was politically motivated.

Navalny said he had a high temperature and bad cough on Monday and said that three inmates in his ward had been admitted to hospital with tuberculosis.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Alexei Navalny would be treated equally like any other prisoner if he was ill. The Kremlin did not comment on his health condition.

After Navalny said he had a high temperature and cough, he was moved to a sick ward with symptoms of a respiratory illness and has been tested COVID positive, the Izvestia newspaper reported on Monday.