MOSCOW, April 18 — Allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said today they planned to stage what they have predicted would be the largest street protests in modern Russian history on April 21 to draw attention to Navalny’s deteriorating health.

Navalny, a prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, started refusing food on March 31 in protest at what he said was the refusal of prison authorities to provide him with proper medical care for acute leg and back pain. — Reuters