Navalny sent to prison hospital as health fails

The jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been transferred to a prison hospital afterwarnings that he is close to death. Navalny, 44, has been on hunger strike for 20 days after hewas refused access to a civilian doctor for severe pain in his back and numbness in his arms and legs. Blood tests provided by his family indicate dangerous levels of potassium that could cause heart or kidney failure, independent doctors say. Alexei Liptser, a lawyer whowas allowed to visit Navalny yesterday for about 15 minutes, said his healthwas ‘‘only getting worse’’, but that he was determined to continue his hunger strike. Navalny’s supporters plan to stage nationwide protests tomorrowto drawattention to his plight.