Live Updates: Unauthorised Rallies in Support of Alexei Navalny Held Across Russia

About 14,400 people took part in unauthorised protests in 29 cities of Russia, according to the website of the Russian Interior Ministry.

According to the Moscow police, as of 20.30 [17:30 GMT], about 6,000 people were taking part in an unauthorised action in the centre of the capital. According to the St. Petersburg police, 4,500 people were taking part in the rally in the city.

The head of Navalny's office in St. Petersburg was detained wearing the "press" vest, he was directing the route of the illegal action by mobile phone, a source in the St. Petersburg police said.

"During an illegal demonstration in St. Petersburg, the coordinator of Navalny's local headquarters, Denis Kabakov, was detained, who vore a 'Press' vest and showed a certificate of the Rain TV channel correspondent. The police have documentary evidence that at the time of the arrest, Kabakov, using mobile communications, was in charge of the protesters' movement routes," the source said.

A group of independent experts under the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council expressed concerns over the health of Russian jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny and called for his "medical evacuation" from the penal institution he is currently held in, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated on Wednesday.

"UN human rights experts* [volunteers not officially affiliated with the UN] today expressed alarm at the deteriorating health situation of detained Russian Government critic Alexei Navalny, and called for his urgent medical evacuation from Russia," the statement reads.

According to the independent experts, Navalny's life is "in serious danger" due to harsh conditions in the penal facility. They urged the Russian government to take all necessary measures "to protect Mr. Navalny’s physical and mental health and well-being" and allow him access to the doctors of his choosing.

Earlier in the day, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova reported that four doctors not related to Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) had visited Navalny in the hospital for inmates and found no serious issues with his health. The ombudswoman also requested the Prosecutor General's Office to look into the situation with the doctors' access.

Navalny, who is currently serving a 2.5-year sentence for financial misdemeanor, has been complaining about severe back and leg pain. In late March he went on a hunger strike after being denied a visit by a doctor of his own choice. He was later diagnosed with two spinal hernias but has refused the treatment offered by the prison authority. The latter assessed Navalny's health as stable and satisfactory and said that he had been receiving all necessary care.

On Monday, Navalny was transferred to a prison hospital, where he was given intravenous glucose infusion.

About 2,500 people on Wednesday took to the streets of the Russian city of Yekaterinburg to take part in unsanctioned rallies, the regional Public Security Ministry said.

Russian cities are seeing unauthorized rallies in support of jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny. Earlier in the day, the Yekaterinburg city authorities said that the number of protesters was about 5,000.

"According to an updated estimate as of 8.50 p.m. [15:50 GMT], taking into account that many people were on their way home from work or were outside for other reasons, the number of actual participants in an unauthorized public rally in Yekaterinburg is about 2,500 people," the ministry said.

Elsewhere in Russia, police detained some 50 people in the city of Ufa.

According to a Sputnik correspondent, law enforcement officers repeatedly warned residents of responsibility for participating in unauthorized rallies and asked crowds to disperse.

The city of St. Petersburg has, meanwhile, stepped up its security in downtown as crowds are starting to gather. The law enforcement authorities cordoned off the streets adjacent to Palace Square.

In Moscow, police detained a man near the Russian State Library carrying what is believed to be a bat in his backpack.

On Monday, the Russian government refused to authorize rallies scheduled for April 21 and May 1 due to the COVID-19 restrictions. As Navalny's supporters have been calling on Russians to participate in unauthorized rallies on April 21, the Russian authorities keep calling to abstain from participation, as they have pledged to suppress any aggression and provocations.

Eleven people have been detained during an unauthorised protest in support of Alexei Navalny in Russia's Kemerovo, a Sputnik correspondent reported. 

Earlier, local police warned people against participating in unauthorised rallies amid a ban on mass gatherings due to coronavirus restrictions. 

MOSCOW, April 21 (Sputnik) - Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said on Wednesday that she had requested the Prosecutor General's Office to look into the situation with the doctors' access to jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

Navalny, who has been complaining about severe back and leg pain, went on a hunger strike in late March after being denied a visit by a doctor of his own choice. The 44-year-old has been diagnosed with two spinal hernias but has refused the treatment offered by the prison authority. The latter assessed Navalny's health as stable and satisfactory and said that he had been receiving all necessary care. On Monday, Navalny was transferred to a prison hospital, where he was given intravenous glucose infusion.

"Yesterday I sent a request to the Prosecutor General's Office so that the situation with the admission of doctors was checked within the framework of the prosecutor’s supervision," Moskalkova told reporters.

Earlier in the day, the Commissioner said that four independent doctors visited Navalny on Tuesday, having reported no serious health concerns.