>>> AMID INCREASINGLY WORRYING
REPORTS ABOUT THE HEALTH OF
RUSSIAN OPPOSITIONER LEADER
ALEXEY NAVALNY, AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL IS GIVING VOICE TO
WHAT I THINK IS EVERYBODY’S
WORST FEAR ABOUT THE SITUATION
SAYING THAT RUSSIA MAY BE
PLACING HIM IN A SITUATION OF A
SLOW DEATH AND SEEKING TO HIDE
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HIM.
MACKING IT ALL THE MORE
IMPORTANT THAT THE WORLD KEEP
WATCHING WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE.
JOINING US IS ANDREW CRAMER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING UP
AT THIS GOD-AWFUL HOUR WHERE YOU
ARE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.
>> WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE
NATURE OF MR. NAVALNY’S ILLNESS?
WE HAVE HEARD THROUGH HIS
LAWYERS THAT THERE ARE
SUSPICIONS OF TUBERCULOSIS.
THERE ARE REPORTS HE TESTED
NEGATIVE FOR COVID AND
MYSTERIOUS REPORTS OF BACK PAIN
AND NUMBNESS AND SOUNDS LIKE
SOMETHING ELSE ALTOGETHER.
>> WHEN NAVALNY RETURNED TO
RUSSIA IN JANUARY HE WAS IN
APPARENT GOOD HEALTH AND NOW THE
HEALTH IS DETERIORATING AND THE
PERSONAL DOCTOR SAYS SHE IS
CONCERNED THAT HIS HEALTH
PROBLEMS MAY POSE LETHAL RISKS
AND THE PRINCIPLE ISSUES ARE
NUMBNESS IN THE LEGS AND HANDS,
PAINNESS IN HIS BACK AND
RESPIRATORY AILMENT AND TAKEN
TOGETHER WE DON’T HAVE A CLEAR
PICTURE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING, A
LINGERING EFFECT OF CHEMICAL
WEAPON POISONING OR CONSEQUENCE
OF BEING -- SPENDING TIME IN A
RUSSIAN PRISON.
>> MR. NAVALNY’S STATEMENTS
THROUGH HIS SUPPORTERS AND
LAWYERS HAVE INDICATED THAT HE
AT LEAST BELIEVES HE HAS THE
RIGHT AT HIS OWN EXPENSE TO HAVE
A SPECIALIST LOOK AT HIM.
WE KNOW THAT HIS DOCTOR WHO YOU
JUST DESCRIBED WAS DETAINED.
WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE OF THOSE
ASSERTIONS AND THE KIND OF
TREATMENT THAT WE’VE SEEN WITH
HIS DOCTOR, ACTUALLY EVEN FOR A
TIME A CNN CORRESPONDENT WHO WAS
COVERING THE SITUATION AT THE
PRISON TAKEN IN CUSTODY BY
AUTHORITIES?
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
I WAS AT THAT EVENT ON TUESDAY,
AND NAVALNY’S PERSONAL DOCTOR
WAS ARRESTED WITH SEVERAL
REPORTER JUST THE CONCERN OF
SUPPORTERS OF MR. NAVALNY IS
WHAT WE’RE WITNESSING IS A SLOW
MOTION SECOND ASSASSINATION.
NOW, THE KREMLIN SAYS THAT
NAVALNY HAS RECEIVED ADEQUATE
HEALTH CARE IN PRISON, AND STATE
MEDIA HAS REPORTED ON THIS
SITUATION AS IF HE MAY BE
MALIGNING THE SYMPTOMS, ALSO
TAUNTING HIM FOR ESSENTIALLY
BEING A COMPLAINER.
BUT THE GREAT CONCERN OF
SUPPORTERS OF MR. NAVALNY IS
THAT HIS LIFE MIGHT BE IN
DANGER.
>> HOW MUCH ATTENTION IS THIS
GETTING INSIDE RUSSIA?
WE SAW THOSE MYRIAD
DEMONSTRATIONS AND DOZENS AND
DOZENS OF CITIES AND TOWNS IN
RUSSIA, NOT JUST IN MOSCOW, BIG
PROTESTS IN BIG SUPPORT OF MR.
NAVALNY AND HEAVY HAND RESPONSE.
DOES THE PUTIN GOVERNMENT FEEL
PRESSURE ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING
TO HIM NOW INSIDE PRISON?
>> I DON’T THINK THEY HAVE FELT
ANY PRESSURE IMMEDIATELY IN
TERMS OF PROTESTS BUT THEY’RE
DEFINITELY WORRIED ABOUT THE
PROTEST IN JANUARY.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME OF
NATIONWIDE PROTEST IN MULTIPLE
CITIES OVER A NATIONAL ISSUE.
SO THE CONCERN ABOUT STREET
PROTEST IS PALPABLE.
AND IT’S UNCLEAR WHAT WOULD
HAPPEN IF SOMETHING WERE TO
HAPPEN TO NAVALNY, A STEP AWAY
FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW.
BUT IT’S A VERY SENSITIVE
SITUATION FOR THE KREMLIN AND
SOMETHING THAT IS COVERED VERY
DELICATELY ON STATE MEDIA BUT
THEN A LOT OF RUSSIANS THESE
DAYS RECEIVE THE NEWS THROUGH
SOCIAL MEDIA SO IT’S A DELICATE
SITUATION AND CENTRAL TO RUSSIAN
POLITICS RIGHT NOW.
>> ANDREW CRAMER, MOSCOW
CORRESPONDENT FOR "THE NEW YORK
TIMES," THANK YOU FOR YOUR
CONTINUED REPORTING ON THIS AND
HELPING US TO UNDERSTAND.
IT’S INVALUABLE TO TALK TO YOU
IN MOSCOW TONIGHT.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> BLOOMBERG NEWS IS REPORTING
THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
MAY BE PREPARING TO TAKE SOME
SORT OF RETALIATORY ACTION
AGAINST THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
INCLUDING FOR THE TREATMENT OF