Russian opposition leader raced to hospital from prison after allergic reaction

Mr Navalny’s spokeswoman said he had no history of suffering from allergic reactions prior to his incarceration

Navalny in a Moscow courtroom on Wednesday shortly after his arrest (AP)

The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been admitted to hospital following an acute allergic reaction just four days after being jailed by the Kremlin.

Mr Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said the politician was raced to hospital from his cell at 09.30 local time (06.30 GMT) after his face began to swell and his skin began to turn red.

It is currently unclear what caused the symptoms, with Ms Yarmysh adding that Mr Navalny had not experienced any allergic reactions in the past.

It comes after more than 1,000 Russian citizens were arrested for protesting in the capital on Saturday in one of the largest crackdowns against opposition activists in the country's recent history.

The unauthorised march was organised in response to the exclusion of opposition candidates from September’s Moscow city elections.

Mr Navalny was sentenced to 30 days in prison on Wednesday for his part in calling for the protest action, and was due to lead the march before his incarceration

He was detained by riot police as he left for a morning jog earlier this week. Sharing news of his arrest on social media, he quipped that the development showed that sport was sometimes harmful.

“I left for a run and to buy my wife flowers,” he said. “It’s her birthday today, so happy birthday Yulia!”

It is not the first time Mr Navalny has spent time incarcerated by the Russian state. In the past calendar year he has spent one in every seven days behind bars, each for short periods of time over minor breaches of the law.

The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled that arrests and detention of Mr Navalny in 2012 and 2014 were politically motivated and breached his human rights, a ruling Moscow called questionable.

Additional reporting by Reuters