Alexei Navalny stops hunger strike

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny said he’s ending a 24-day hunger strike that had fueled tensions with the West and sparked concern the Kremlin’s most prominent critic could die in prison, Report states, referring to the BBC.

“I am starting to exit the hunger strike,” Navalny said on his Instagram account on Friday. “According to the rules, it will take the same 24 days, and they say, it will be even harder.”

Navalny’s plight was a significant source of tension between the Kremlin and the West, with the White House warning of unspecified consequences if he dies. The 44-year-old opposition politician decided to stop his protest action after getting access to outside doctors for his deteriorating health, a demand he made when he stopped eating on March 31.