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CNN reporter was arrested outside the penal colony whereAlexei Navalny is being held. - A number of people were arrested amid protests demanding Navalny receive proper medical care.
- Navalny's lawyer said the Kremlin critic is "seriously ill."
CNN correspondent Matthew Chance on Tuesday was arrested outside of the Russian penal colony where Alexei Navalny has been imprisoned, amid growing concerns over the top Kremlin critic's health.
Chance tweeted a photo of himself apparently in police custody at the facility.
At least eight other people were also arrested at the penal colony, located roughly 60 miles from Moscow, as protesters gathered and demanded Navalny receive appropriate medical care, CBS News reported.
-Matthew Chance (@mchancecnn) April 6, 2021
-Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 6, 2021
Navalny was transferred to a medical unit on Monday for possible respiratory problems and tested for coronavirus, Reuters reported, though the results of the test remain unclear. Earlier in the day, a post on Navalny's Instagram said he was suffering from a severe cough and high temperature. The post also said several inmates in Navalny's prison ward had tuberculosis.
One of the Russian opposition leader's lawyers, Olga Mikhailova, on Tuesday confirmed that Navalny is "seriously ill."
"He has lost a lot of weight, plus he has a strong cough and a temperature of 38.1C," Mikhailova said, calling it a "complete outrage," per the Guardian. The statement means Navalny is running a fever of 100.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Navalny recently announced he's going on hunger strike to protest a lack of access to proper medical care in the facility amid complaints of acute back pain and leg pain.
The anti-corruption campaigner is Russian President
Upon returning to Moscow in January, he was promptly arrested by
Critics have characterized the charges Navalny has faced as politically motivated. Leaders across the world, including President Joe Biden, have condemned Russia over Navalny's poisoning and detention.