U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement in reaction to reports of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s deteriorating health and to demand his swift release:

“I am deeply concerned by recent reports of Alexei Navalny’s severely deteriorating health—including significant weight loss, acute stomach pain, and need for emergency services—during his unjust incarceration by Russian authorities. His captors are blatantly neglecting his basic needs and rights, and perhaps again cruelly poisoning Russia’s opposition leader and a champion of Russian democracy.

“In spite of this crushing repression, Navalny continues to be a true champion for the Russian people, demonstrating unparalleled bravery and drive to build a free Russia as—from jail—he calls for the restoration of Ukraine’s 1991 borders and leads investigations into prison graft. I call on Russian authorities to immediately provide him with appropriate medical care and I demand his immediate release. The world is watching.”

Original source can be found here.