National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on CNN television that the United States is concerned about the health of Alexei Navalny, the most internationally known and persistent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Navalny
is currently in jail in his country
.
"We have communicated to the Russian government that what happens to Mr. Navalny is their responsibility and the international community will hold them accountable," Sullivan said.
"We have communicated to him that there will be consequences if Mr. Navalny dies," he added.
[An eternal political rival of Putin ends up in intensive care. His spokesman says he was poisoned]
Navalny, 44, went on a hunger strike more than three weeks ago to protest the
prison authorities' refusal to allow him to be treated by a private doctor
.
The opposition politician had stated that he suffers from severe back pain and loss of sensation in his legs, and that medical care in prison is inadequate.
The Russian prison service says he is receiving adequate care.
[Tension between Russia and the West increases due to the arrest of opponent Alexei Navalny]
Navalny associates organized massive protests in the heart of Moscow and St. Petersburg on Wednesday, claiming that
Navalny's health is severely deteriorating
.
Leonid Volkov, a leading strategist for the Russian opposition, said the demonstrations were called three days in advance because "his life is at stake."
And he added: "We don't know how long it will be able to hold out. But it is clear that we don't have time."
"In terms of the specific actions that we would take, we are seeing a variety of different costs that we would impose," Sullivan said.
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Doctor Yaroslav Ashikhmin said on Saturday that the test results he received from Navalny's family showed very high levels of potassium, which could lead to cardiac arrest and signs of kidney failure.
"Our patient could die at any moment," he added
.
There were no immediate comments from Russian police or government officials on the call for protests, but the response is likely to be harsh.
Police arrested more than 10,000 people during Navalny freedom rallies in Russia in January.
[20 years in power for longer: Putin will be able to rule Russia until 2036]
Navalny was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a poisoning, which he says is behind the Kremlin.
Russia denies responsibility for this matter.
Putin's opponent has to serve a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for an initially suspended sentence.
According to the Russian authorities, by being absent in Germany, he violated the terms of those suspension.
On Saturday, President
Joe Biden called Navalny's situation "totally unfair
.
"
With information from AP, CNN, Efe.