Allies were forced to disband his network of regional campaign offices, which the authorities are seeking to ban as "extremist". His head shaven, Navalny said he had been taken to a bathhouse to look "decent" before the court hearing. Later in the hearing, Navalny (44) went on the attack against Putin and the Russian justice system. Describing how he was gradually ending his more than three-week hunger strike, he said he had eaten four spoonfuls of porridge on Wednesday. He declared his hunger strike on March 31 to demand better medical care for leg and back pain.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 29, 2021 18:22 UTC