Russian state TV has imposed a virtual blackout on coverage on Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny amid claims he could die at “any minute” in a prison hospital.
The imprisoned 44-year-old, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, has been on hunger strike and there are planned protests in 77 cities as a show of support.
The protests on Wednesday will coincide with Vladimir Putin’s key annual state of the nation address to parliament.
The Russian Government have said the protests are illegal.
On Monday, TV news bulletins failed to report that Mr Navalny has been transferred to hospital amid concerns over his deteriorating health after three weeks without food.
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They also ignored an EU foreign ministers’ meeting which said the bloc held the Russian authorities responsible for Mr Navalny's health.
The US has threatened Russia with unspecified “consequences” if the prominent Putin foe dies in jail, while Britain has demanded his release.
Russia said 44-year-old Navalny’s condition was “satisfactory” despite the move to hospital.
And Putin’s spokesman told the West to mind its own business over Navalny, who the president never mentions by name.
"The health of convicts in the Russia Federation cannot and should not be a topic concerning them,” said Dmitry Peskov.
Several pro-Kremlin newspapers and news websites mentioned the story but it was absent on news bulletins of the state-run media.
Navalny started his hunger strike after a refusal by the prison authorities to permit him to receive hospital medical care for a back and leg complaint.
The prison authorities have also barred Navalny’s doctors from visiting him.
Last week updated footage appeared of Navalny in prison doing press ups, a sequence presumably leaked to a pro-Kremlin media.
The CCTV video was used to argue that he was not as weak as his aides claimed.
His lawyer Alexei Liptser said after visiting the politician in a prison hospital in Vladimir on Monday afternoon that he was “really unwell”.
“Given the test results and the overall state of his health, it was decided to transfer him here,” he said.
“In the evening, he became significantly worse.”
He confirmed that Navalny was continuing his hunger strike despite his supporters’ concern for his health.
“In general his look indicates he is really unwell," he said.
Navalny’s wife Yulia, 44, visited him last week and said: "I've never seen skin so tight around one's skull.”
She has said that if he dies in jail she will hold Putin and the governor of his jail responsible.
Last year Mr Navalny was almost killed when he was poisoned with the nerve agent novichok.