Navalny's Lawyer Says Opposition Figure Suffering From Spinal Hernias In Prison Infirmary

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2021) Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, who is suffering from spinal hernias, is currently in a prison infirmary in Pokrov in the Vladimir Region along with another inmate, his lawyer Olga Mikhailova said on Thursday.

Last week, Navalny, who has been complaining about severe back and leg pain, went on a hunger strike after being denied a visit at jail by a doctor of his own choice. On Wednesday, the lawyer said that the 44-year-old refused the treatment he was offered in prison after being diagnosed with two spinal hernias and disc protrusion following a neurologist's examination.

"In the prison's infirmary. He is there along with another inmate ... Only two paramedics work in the unit," Mikhailova told reporters when asked about Navalny's whereabouts.

According to the lawyer, a commission from the leadership of a regional medical unit has earlier visited Navalny and tried to persuade him to take medicine.

The specialists also told him that his request for a doctor of his own choice is unlikely to be met. However, the opposition figure is determined to continue his hunger strike, Mikhailova added.

Commenting on the alleged outbreak of the coronavirus and tuberculosis in the prison, she said that the defense team had no information on the issue.

"He had photofluorography done and was tested for the coronavirus, the test came back negative, but for some reason, they also conducted another one again. There are no results yet," Mikhailova said.

The opposition figure is currently serving a two-and-a-half prison term after a Moscow court converted his 3.5-year suspended sentence on financial misconduct charges to a real term in early February. A court earlier found the blogger guilty of defrauding the Russian subsidiary of French cosmetics firm Yves Rocher of 26 million rubles ($340,500).