To President Putin,
As we write, Alexey Navalny is being held in a penal colony that many lawyers and human rights advocates consider to be one of the harshest in Russia. As has been reported worldwide, his health is deteriorating and he is in a critical state and requires urgent medical attention.
Alexey Navalny is exhibiting symptoms of a severe neurological disorder—constant back pain and the loss of sensation in his legs and hands. In addition, he is suffering from a severe cough and fever. As a Russian citizen, he has the lawful right to be examined and treated by a doctor of his choice. Having been denied this right, on March 30th, he began a hunger strike in protest.
We call on you, Mr President, to ensure that Alexey Navalny is immediately given the medical treatment and care that he urgently requires—and is entitled to under Russian law. As someone who has sworn to uphold the law, you have only to do so.
Signed by:
J. J. ABRAMS
SVETLANA ALEKSIEVITCH
MARTIN AMIS
ANNE APPLEBAUM
CHRISTOPHER BUCKLEY
KEN BURNS
EMMANUEL CARRÈRE
CHRISTOPHER CLARK
J. M. COETZEE
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH
ALAN CUMMING
RACHEL CUSK
DAVID DUCHOVNY
LOUISE ERDRICH
SIR RICHARD J. EVANS
HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL
NIALL FERGUSON
RALPH FIENNES
ORLANDO FIGES
ANTONIA FRASER
STEPHEN FRY
NEIL GAIMAN
HENRY LOUIS GATES JR.
LOUISE GLÜCK
SAM GREENE
MATT HAIG
DAVID HARE
ROBERT HARRIS
DANIEL KEHLMANN
ETGAR KERET
DAVID LAGERCRANTZ
JUDE LAW
MARC LEVY
LING MA
BEN MACINTYRE
HILARY MANTEL
AGNÈS MARTIN-LUGAND
NATASCHA MCELHONE
CATHERINE MERRIDALE
HERTA MÜLLER
PÉTER NÁDAS
SYLVIA NASAR
BILL NIGHY
SUZANNE NOSSEL
AMÉLIE NOTHOMB
MICHAEL ONDAATJE
GEORGE PACKER
ORHAN PAMUK
ROBERT PESTON
MARIA POPOVA
RICHARD POWERS
ELLENDEA PROFFER TEASLEY
VANESSA REDGRAVE
DAVID REMNICK
J.K. ROWLING
ARUNDHATI ROY
SALMAN RUSHDIE
PHILIPPE SANDS
NITIN SAWHNEY
SIMON SCHAMA
SAMANTA SCHWEBLIN
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS
SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE
ELIF SHAFAK
PETER SINGER
ALI SMITH
TIMOTHY SNYDER
ART SPIEGELMAN
JULIET STEVENSON
TOM STOPPARD
PATRICK SÜSKIND
COLM TÓIBÍN
BJÖRN ULVAEUS (ABBA)
TIM WEINER
SIMON WINCHESTER
JOHN WRAY
THOM YORKE
IAN MCKELLEN