Putin critic Navalny reportedly transferred to medical facility after falling ill in jail

• Alexei Navalny has reportedly been transferred to a medical unit for respiratory problems.
• The imprisoned Putin critic recently went on hunger strikes over claims of improper medical care.
• Amnesty International said it’s possible Russia is subjecting Navalny “to a slow death.”
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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been transferred to a penal colony medical unit due to possible respiratory problems and fever, Reuters reported on Monday.

Navalny received a COVID-19 test in the medical facility, according to the report, but the result remains unclear.

The anti-corruption campaigner and top critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced he’s going on hunger strike over claims he was being denied proper medical care in prison.

“There is a real prospect that Russia is subjecting him to a slow death,” Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, told Voice of America. “He must be granted immediate access to a medical doctor he trusts and he must be freed.”

Navalny was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on charges of violating parole, including while he was in Germany for five months receiving medical treatment after being poisoned. The sentencing was broadly viewed as politically motivated and condemned by leaders worldwide.

Putin has been accused of ordering Navalny’s poisoning, an allegation the Russian leader has vehemently denied.

This article will continue to be updated.