Russia Must Provide 'Immediate' Medical Care To Navalny, Germany Urges

Germany on January 13 demanded swift medical care for jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, who has complained of being denied access to hospital treatment by prison officials in Russia. Navalny "is in urgent need of medical assistance as numerous Russian doctors have pointed out. We call on the Russian authorities to provide this immediately and completely," said government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann. Berlin also reiterated a call for Navalny's release, saying his imprisonment is based on a "politically motivated verdict.” For the past two years, the 46-year-old has been held outside Vladimir, a town east of Moscow, after an embezzlement conviction, one of several rulings Navalny has denounced as attempts to silence him. To read the original story from AFP, click here.