Kremlin Critic's Allies Dismiss Russia's Claim Of His "Stable" Condition

Navalny, 44, was detained in January after landing in Russia from Germany where he was recovering for several months from a poisoning attack with a Soviet-designed nerve agent that nearly left him dead.

Russia said Thursday that jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny was in "satisfactory" condition, but failed to reassure his allies who demanded clarity about his health and whereabouts. Navalny, 44, was detained in January after landing in Russia from Germany where he was recovering for several months from a poisoning attack with a Soviet-designed nerve agent that nearly left him dead. His jailing in February on old embezzlement charges sparked large protests, an outcry from rights groups in Russia and abroad and condemnation from Western governments. On Wednesday, Navalny's lawyers sounded the alarm over his health in one of Russia's most notorious prisons, saying he had complained of back pain and numbness in his legs.