Mass protests planned across Russia to ‘Save Navalny’s Life’

Allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny unveiled plans on Sunday for what they hope will be the largest protests in modern Russian history on Wednesday as Washington warned Russia it would pay a price if he died in jail from his hunger-strike.

The protest date was brought forward after a medical trade union with ties to Navalny said on Saturday he was in a critical condition, citing medical tests which it said showed that Navalny’s kidneys could soon fail, which could lead to cardiac arrest.

“Things are developing too quickly and too badly,” his allies wrote in a statement on Navalny’s website, announcing their plans for nationwide street demonstrations that they portrayed as a bid to win him life-saving medical care and as a protest over a crackdown on his supporters. “An extreme situation demands extreme decisions,” they said.


The fate of 44-year-old Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critics, is adding to already acute strains in Russia’s ties with the West. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that the US government had told Russia “there will be consequences” if Navalny died in prison.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called for Navalny to receive immediate medical care, while French President Emmanuel Macron said world powers should draw "clear red lines" with Russia and consider possible sanctions when they are crossed.