Russia: Alexei Navalny’s health worsens in jail

Moscow Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has suffered back pains and leg problems in prison, his lawyer said on Thursday. The lawyer, Olga Volkova, said Navalny’s condition has notably deteriorated in recent days. “He’s suffering strong pains in his back and his right leg. He’s feeling numbness in his right lower leg,” Volkova said.

The 44-year-old Navalny, who is President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken opponent, was arrested on January 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusation.