BBC News
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image copyrightReuters
image captionNavalny was detained in January and later given a jail term of over two and a half years
Russia's main opposition figure Alexei Navalny has announced he is ending his hunger strike after 24 days of refusing food in jail.
Hours earlier his private doctors had appealed to him to take food to preserve his life and health.
Navalny began refusing food on 31 March to demand better medical care.
He said he had twice been seen by civilian doctors and "given the progress and circumstances, I am ending my hunger strike".
His doctors had warned at the weekend he could die "at any minute". Late on Thursday they warned him that "further starvation" could significantly harm him and lead to his death.