Poisoning of Russian Oppositionist Navalny: New Details

On 20 August, Alexei Navalny, a well-known Russian opposition leader felt ill on a plane from Tomsk to Moscow. The plane landed in Omsk as a matter of urgency, and the oppositionist was taken to the intensive care unit. According to preliminary findings of doctors of the Omsk ambulance hospital, Navalny was poisoned with neuroleptics. The state of the politician is assessed as stable and difficult; anesthesiologists, resuscitators and neurophysiologists of the National Medical and Surgical Centre, named after Pirogov ,and the Centre for Neurosurgery, named after Academician Burdenko, will come to the opposition to conduct an investigation.

A plane took off from Germany to Omsk to transport Navalny to the Charité clinic in Berlin. Now, Navalny’s brother Oleg flew to Omsk; the family will insist that the hospital’s doctors allow transportation.

A spokeswoman for politician Kira Yarmysh said that Oleksiy Navalny had been poisoned. She also confirmed the information that he was in a serious coma. According to Yarmysh, Navalny’s poisoning happened in the morning. The poison was poured into his tea. She is sure of this because Navalny only had tea for breakfast.

Meanwhile, the White House made a statement that it may reconsider relations with Russia over the events with Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, writes The New York Times. The position was announced by Robert O’Brien, the US Assistant to the President for National Security. He expressed concern about information about Navalny’s poisoning and said that if it was confirmed, it would affect relations with Moscow.

Natalia Tolub