The manner in which Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is treated in custody amounts to “targeted torture.” This is what members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Parliament said in a letter addressed to Navalny himself. The man recently went on hunger strike.
“We consider treating yourself as targeted torture, and therefore it is a violation of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” read the message posted on the Internet by a parliamentarian.
According to Navalny’s attorney, his health is rapidly deteriorating. He no longer had any feeling in his hands. The opposition leader has been on hunger strike for a week, demanding medical treatment. He previously complained of severe back pain, possibly as a result of a hernia.
I lose weight a lot
His law team said Navalny has lost 13 pounds since he was jailed last month. They demand that he be taken to hospital, but according to the Kremlin, he is not eligible for special treatment. German parliamentarians have expressed their solidarity with the leader of the Russian opposition and believe that his case should be investigated at the European level.
Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most famous opponents, is serving a 2.5-year prison sentence for failing to respect suspended sentences imposed several years ago. He was arrested on his return from Germany, where he was recovering from a novichok poisoning attempt that he barely survived.
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