Russia’s prison service defends treatment of Navalny

Officials at the Russian prison where Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is being detained have defended their treatment of the opposition leader after he complained of interrupted sleep and lack of proper medical attention. 

“Correction facility officers strictly respect the right of all inmates to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep,” the prison said, according to Reuters. “Navalny is being provided with all necessary medical care in accordance with his current medical conditions.”

Navalny said the facility holding him, called IK-2, had guards waking him up every hour and would not address complaints about leg and back pain. The Russian opposition figure began a hunger strike on Wednesday in an effort to obtain medical attention.

“I have the right to call a doctor and get medications. They give me neither one nor the other. The back pain has moved to the leg. Parts of my right leg and now of my left leg have lost sensitivity. Jokes aside, but this is already annoying,” Navalny said, according to CNN.

Navalny’s lawyers have found a doctor to see him and are waiting for a response from the prison.

“We’re waiting for a decision from the FSIN [prison service],” Alexei Barinov, the doctor who would see Navalny, told Reuters.

Navalny is serving a 2 1/2-year prison sentence on what he maintains are trumped-up charges.

Russia convicted him for violating his parole after he went to get medical treatment in Germany after he was poisoned last year, allegedly by the Russian government.

President Biden has implemented sanctions against Russia for the jailing of Navalny.